296. 

Y49 

1877 


PRESERVATION  REVIEW 


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I 


ספר יצירה ♦ 

Sephee  Yezieah. 


A BOOK  ON  CREATION; 

OR, 


THE  JEWISH  METAPHYSICS 


Remote  Antiquity. 

With  English  Translation,  Preface,  Explanatory  Notes  and  Glossary, 

BY 

Rev.  Dr.  ISIDOR  KALISCH, 

Author  of  the  ^ ‘Guide  for  Rational  Inquiries  into  the  Biblical  Scriptures,” 
“ToBne  des  Morgenlandes,”  Translator  of  “Nathan  the  Wise” 
from  the  German,  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 


NEW  YOEK: 

L.  H.  EEANK  & CO.,  Publishers  and  Printers, 
No.  32^  Bowery. 


18  77. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1877,  by 
L.  H.  FRANK  & CO־, 

in  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


[ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED] 


PREFACE 


yr..OZ 

דר&ו 


This  metaphysical  essay,  called  ‘״Sepher  Tezirah,” 
(book  on  creation,  or  cosmogony,)  which  I have  en- 
deavored  to  render  into  English,  with  explanatory 
notes,  is  considered  by  all  modem  literati  as  the  first 
philosophical  book  that  ever  was  written  in  the  He-  ^ 
brew  language.  But  the  time  of  its  composition  and  ^ 
the  name  of  its  author  have  not  yet  been  ascertained,  ^ 
despite  of  the  most  elaborate  researches  of  renowned  vd 
archaeologists.  Some  maintain  that  this  essay  is  ^ 
mentioned  in  the  Talmud  treatise  Sanhedrin,  p.  66  b-oT 
and  ibid.  67  b.  which  passage  is  according  to  the  com-  V 
mentary  of  Eashi,  to  treatise  Erubin,  p.  63  a.,  a re- 
liable  historical  notice.  Hence  this  book  was  known 
already  in  the  second  or  at  the  beginning  of  the  third 
century  of  the  Christian  Era.  The  historian.  Dr. 
Graetz,  tries  to  show  very  ingeniously  in  his  work, 
entitled  ‘‘Gnosticism,”  p.  104  and  110,  that  it  was 
written  in  the  early  centuries  of  the  Christian  Church, 
especially  when  the  ideas  and  views  of  the  Gnostics 
were  in  vogue.  This  opinion,  however,  he  afterwards 
revoked.  (See  Dr.  Graetz’s  “History  of  the  Jews,” 
Vol.  V,  p.  315  in  a note.) 

Dr.  Zunz,  the  Nestor  of  the  Jewish  Babbis  in 
Europe,  maintains  that  w’e  have  to  look  for  the  gen- 
esis  of  the  book  “Tezirah”  in  the  Geonic  period,  (700 
— 1000),  and  that  it  was  consequently  composed  in 
a post-talmudical  time.  But  if  so,  it  is  very  strange 


6808'JZ 


4 


PREFACE. 


that  Saadjah  Gaon,  who  lived  in  the  tenth,  and  Judah 
Halevi,  who  lived  in  the  twelfth  century,  represented 
the  book  “Tezirah”  as  a very  ancient  work.  There- 
fore  it  seems  to  me,  that  Dr.  Graetz  had  no  sufficient 
cause  to  repudiate  his  assertion  concerning  the  age 
of  this  book ; because  all  the  difficulties  which  he 
himself  and  others  raised  against  his  supposition, 
fall  to  the  ground,  when  we  consider  that  the  most 
ancient  works,  holy  as  well  as  profane,  had  one  and 
the  same  fate,  namely,  that  from  age  to  age  more  or 
less  interpolations  were  made  by  copyists  and  com- 
mentators.  Compare  also  Prof.  Tenneman’s  ‘‘Grand- 
riss  der  Geschichte  der  Philosophie,”  improved  by 
Prof.  Wendt,  p.  207. 

Tradition,  which  ascribes  the  authorship  of  this 
book  to  the  patriarch  Abraham,  is  fabulous,  as  can 
be  proved  by  many  reasons ; but  the  idea  that  Rabbi 
Akiba,  who  lived  about  the  beginning  of  the  second 
century,  composed  the  book  “Tezirah,”  is  very  likely 
possible.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  worth  while  to  know 
the  extravagant  hypotheses  which  ancient  Jewish 
philosophers  and  theologians  framed  as  soon  as  they 
began  to  contemplate  and  to  reason,  endeavoring  to 
combine  oriental  and  Greek  theories.  Although  there 
is  an  exuberance  of  weeds,  we  will  find,  nevertheless, 
many  germs  of  truisms,  which  are  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance.  A Christian  theologian,  Johann  Friedrich 
von  Meyer  D.  D.,  remarked  very  truly  in  his  German 
preface  to  the  book  “Yezirah,”  published  in  Leipzig, 
1830:  “This  book  is  for  two  reasons  highly  important : 
in  the  first  place,  that  the  real  Cabala,  or  mystical 


PREFACE. 


5 


doctrine  of  tlie  Jews,  which  must  be  carefully  dis- 
tmguished  from  its  excrescences,  is  in  close  connec- 
tion  and  perfect  accord  with  the  Old  and  New  Test- 
aments ; and  in  the  second  place,  that  the  knowledge 
of  It  IS  of  great  importance  to  the  philosophical  in- 
quirers,  and  can  not  be  put  aside.  Like  a cloud  per- 
meated  by  beams  of  light  which  makes  one  infer  that 
there  is  more  hght  behind  it,  so  do  the  contents  of 
this  book,  enveloped  in  obscurity,  abound  in  corns- 
cations  of  thought,  reveal  to  the  mind  that  there  is  a 
still  more  effulgent  light  lurking  somewhere,  and  thus 
invitmg  us  to  a further  contemplation  and  investiga- 
tion,  and  at  the  same  time  demonstrating  the  danger 
of  a superficial  investigation,  which  is  so  prevalent 
in  modern  times,  rejecting  that  which  can  not  be 
understood  at  first  sight.” 

I shall  now  try  to  give  a sketch  of  the  system  as 
it  IS  displayed  in  the  book  “Tezirah,”  which  forms  a 
link  in  the  chain  of  the  ancient  theoretical  specula- 
tions  of  phfiosophers,  who  were  striving  to  ascertain 
the  truth  mamly  by  reasoning  a-priori,  and  who  im- 
agined  that  it  is  thus  possible  to  permeate  all  the 
secrets  of  nature.  It  teaches  that  a first  cause,  eter- 
nal,  aU-wise,  almighty  and  holy,  is  the  origin  and 
the  centre  of  the  whole  universe,  ]from  whom  gradu- 
ally  all  beings  emanated.  Thought,  speech  and 
action  are  an  inseparable  unity  in  the  divine  being; 
God  made  or  created,  is  metaphorically  expressed 
by  the  word : writing.  The  Hebrew  language  and  its 
characters  correspond  mostly  with  the  things  they 
designate,  and  thus  holy  thoughts,  Hebrew  language 


6 


PBEFACE. 


and  its  reduction  to  writing,  form  a unity  which  pro- 
duce  a creative  effect.* 

The  self-existing  first  cause  called  the  creation  into 
existence  by  quantity  and  quality ; the  former  re- 
presented  by  ten  numbers,  (Sephiroth,)  the  latter  by 
twenty-two  letters,  which  form  together  thirty-two 
ways  of  the  divine  wisdom.  Three  of  the  twenty-two 
letters,  namely,  Aleph,  Mem,  Sheen,  are  the  mothers, 
or  the  first  elements,  from  which  came  forth  the  prim- 
itive  matter  of  the  world : air,  water  and  fire,  that 
have  their  parallel  in  man,  (male  and  female):  breast, 
body  and  head,  and  in  the  year : moisture,  cold  and 
heat.  The  other  seven  double  and  twelve:]:  simple 
letters  are  then  represented  as  stamina,  from  which 
other  spheres  or  media  of  existence  emanated. 

Man  is  a microcosm,  as  the  neck  separates  rational- 
ity  from  vitality,  so  does  diaphragm  the  vitality 
from  the  vegetativeness. 


*Thus  for  instance,  they  imagined  that  the  name  of  Jehovah, 
,יהוה  is  by  reversing  the  alphabet; מצפ ץ  (mzpz) ; mem  signifies  the 
letter  jod,  zaddi,  the  letter  he,  and  pe,  the  letter  wav.  These  un- 
meaning  sounds,  they  said,  have  magic  power.  Some  maintained 
that  the  Hebrew  language  consists  of  twenty-two  consonants,  be- 
cause  being  the  complex  of  all  beings,  its  number  is  equal  to  the 
most  perfect  figure,  namely,  of  the  periphery,  as  it  is  well  known 
that  the  diameter  is  always  to  the  periphery  as  seven  to  twenty-two. 

tit  was  frequently  observed  by  Jewish  and  Christian  theolo- 
gians,  that  the  Marcosianic  Gnostic  system,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
Clementinians  of  the  second  century,  contain  many  analogies  and 
parallels  with  the  book  “Tezirah.’’  Marcus  divides  the  Greek  al- 
phabet  into  three  parts,  namely ; nine  mute  consonants  dcpoovay 
eight  half  vowels  yjj,KpG0vaj  and  seven  vowels  qiooyrjevra.  in  order 
to  give  a clear  idea  of  the  peculiar  constitution  of  his  “Aeons.”  (Ire- 
naeus  Haer,  I,  16.) 


PKEFACE. 


7 


God  stands  in  close  connection  with  the  Universe, 
and  just  so  is  Tali  connected  with  the  world,  that  is, 
an  invisible,  celestial  or  universal  axis  carries  the 
whole  fabric.  In  the  year  by  the  sphere,  in  man  by 
the  heart,  and  thus  is  the  ruling  spirit  of  God  every- 
where.  Notwithstanding  the  decay  of  the  individual, 
the  genus  is  produced  by  the  antithesis  of  man  and 
wife. 

Hebrew  commentaries  on  the  book  ‘‘Tezirah”  were 
composed  by:  first,  Saadjah  Gaon,  of  Fajum  in 
Egypt,  (892 — 942);  second,  Eabbi  Abraham  ben 
Dior  Halevi;  third,  Eabbi  Moses  ben  Nachman; 
fourth,  Eheser  of  Germisa;  fifth,  Moses  Botarel;  sixth, 
Eabbi  Eliah  Wilna.  The  book  ‘‘Tezirah,”  together 
with  all  these  commentaries,  was  published  in  1860, 
in  the  city  of  Lemberg.  But  although  the  commen- 
tator  Saadjah  was  a sober  minded  scholar  in  a 
superstitious  age,  a good  Hebrew  grammarian,  a re- 
nowned  theologian  and  a good  translator  of  the  He- 
brew  Pentateuch,  Isaiah  and  Job  into  the  Arabian 
language,  his  ideas  and  views  were,  nevertheless, 
very  often  much  benighted.  See  his  comments  on 
Tez.  Chap.  I,  etc.,  etc.;  his  notes  on  ‘^Yezirah”  Chap. 
Ill,  2,  prove  undoubtedly  that  he  had  no  knowledge 
whatever  of  natural  science,  and  therefore  his  anno- 
tations  on  the  book  “Yezirah”  are  of  httle  or  no  use 
at  all.  All  the  other  commentaries  mentioned  above, 
together  with  all  quotations  of  other  expounders  of 
the  same  book,  contain  nothing  but  a medley  of  ar- 
bitrary,  mystical  explanations  and  sophistical  distor- 
tions  of  scriptural  verses,  astrological  notions,  orient- 


8 


PREFACE. 


al  superstitions,  a metaphysical  jargon,  a poor  know- 
ledge  of  physics  and  not  a correct  elucidation  of  the 
ancient  book ; they  drew  mostly  from  their  own  im- 
agination,  and  credited  the  author  of  ‘‘Yezirah”  with 
saying  very  strange  things  which  he  never  thought 
of.  I must  not  omit  to  mention  two  other  Hebrew 
commentaries,  one  by  Judah  Halevi,  and  the  other 
by  Ebn  Ezra,  who  hved  in  the  first  part  of  the  twelfth 
century.  They  succeeded  in  explaining  the  book  “Ye- 
zirah  in  a sound  scientific  manner,  but  failed  in 
making  themselves  generally  understood,  on  account 
of  the  superstitious  age  in  which  they  lived,  and  the 
tenacity  with  which  the  people  in  that  period  adhered 
to  the  marvelous  and  supernatural ; they  found,  there- 
fore,  but  few  followers,  and  the  book  “Yezirah”  re- 
mained  to  the  public  an  enigma  and  an  ancient  curios- 
ity,  giving  rise  to  a system  of  metaphysical  delirium, 
called  Cabala. 

Translations  of  the  book  “Yezirah”  and  comments 
thereon  by  learned  Christian  authors  are : first,  a 
translation  of  the  book  “Yezirah”  with  explanatory 
notes  in  the  Latin  language,  by  Wilhelm  PosteUus, 
Paris,  France,  1552 ; second,  another  Latin  version  is 
contained  in  Jo.  Pistorii  artis  cabalistical  scriptorum, 
Tom  I,  p.  869,  sqq.,  differing  from  that  of  PosteUus. 
Some  are  of  the  opinion  that  J ohn  Eeuchlin,  while 
others  maintain  that  Paul  Eiccius  was  the  author  of 
it.  (See  Wolfii  Biblioth.  Hebr.  Tom.,  I,  Chap.  1.) 
Third,  Eittangel  published  the  book  “Yezirah,”  1642, 
at  Amsterdam,  entitled : “Liber  Yezirah  qui  Abra- 
hamo  patriarchae  adscribitur,  una  cum  commentario 


PEEFACE. 


9 


Eabbi  Abraham  F.  D.  (filii  Dior)  super  32  Semitis 
Sapientiae,  a quibus  liber  Yezirah  incipit.  Translatus 
et  notis  illustratus,  a Joanne  Stephana  Kittangeho, 
ling.  Orient,  in  Elect.  Acad.  Eegiomontana  Prof, 
extraord.  Amstelodami  ap.  Jo.  and  Jodoc.  Jansson- 
ios,”  1642,  in  quarto ; fourth,  Johann  Friedrich  von 
Mayer,  D.  D.,  pubhshed  the  book  “Yezirah”  in  He- 
brew  with  a translation  and  explanatory  notes  in  the 
German  language,  Leipzig,  1830. 

All  these  translations  are  out  of  print  and  are 
rarely  found  even  in  well  regulated  libraries.  I was 
so  fortunate  as  to  obtain  a copy  of  Dr.  Mayer’s 
edition  of  the  book  “Yezirah.”  He  states  in  the  pre- 
face  to  it,  that  he  had  a copy  of  Postellus’  transla- 
tion  in  manuscript  as  well  as  some  others,  and  com• 
pared  them.  The  explanatory  notes  given  by  this 
author  are,  nevertheless,  insufficient  and  sometimes 
very  incorrect.  The  present  translation  is,  as  far  as 
I could  ascertain,  the  first  that  was  ever  pubhshed 
in  the  English  language.  Again,  I have  to  add  that 
I have  not  only  endeavored  to  correct  a great  many 
mistakes  and  erroneous  ideas  of  my  predecessors,  but 
I have  also  endeavored  to  give  more  complete  anno- 
tations.  I therefore  hope  that  the  candid  reader  will 
consider  the  great  difficulties  I had  to  overcome  in 
this  still  unbeaten  way  of  the  ancient  Jewish  spirit- 
ual  region,  and  will  receive  with  indulgence  this  new 
contribution  to  archaeological  knowledge. 

Dr.  ISIDOE  KALISCH. 


ספר יציררח י 


פרק ראש^ • 

בל ע ו כ ה א . 

ב׳טלעים ולטתי ם נהימ ת פליא1ר ח חכמ ה חהן ק 
יה יהו ח צבא1 ת אלהי ם חיי ם ומל ר עול ם אv ל שר י 

VV  * - * V;  T : T ; T ן T . . 

רחום וחנו ן ר ם ונש א שוכ ן ע ד מרו ם והןרו ש שמ ו 
וברא א ת עולמ ו בשלש ה ספרי ם *בספ ר וספו ר 

• : T : • •T  : T : • T V TT 

וספר: עש ר ספירור ז בלימ ה רעשרי ם ושתי □ 
אותיות יסוד : של ש אמו ת ושב ע כפולו ת ושתי ם 

. . ן . ..... . .. . 

עשרה פשוטות : 

בל ע ז כ ה ב . 

עשר קפירו ת בלימ ה כמספ ר עש ר אצבעור ז 
חמש כנג ד חמ ש וכרי ה יחי ד מכונ ה ב^5מצ ע 

T • ״ : VV\  ; • T •:  ••  T vv , . .^ . . - 

כמלת הלשו ן ובמל ת המעור : 
בל ש כ ד ! ג . 

עשר ספירו ת בלימ ה עש ר ול א תש ע עש ר ול א 
אחת עשר ה הב ן בחכמ ה וחכ ם בבינ ה בחו ן בה ם 

T : T : I ••  T ; V ־ : : * V T 1 T T 

וחקור מה ם והעמ ד ךב ר ע ל מךי ו והוש ב יוצ ר 
על־^מנו: 

*נ״א. בספ ר וסופ ר וספור : 


SEPHEE  YEZIEAH. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Section  1. 


Yah/  the  Lord  of  hosts,  the  living  God,  King  of 
the  Universe,  Omnipotent,  All-Kind  and  Merciful, 
Supreme  and  Extolled,  who  is  Eternal,  Subhme 
and  Most-Holy,  ordained  (formed)  and  created  the 
Universe  in  thirty-two^  mysterious  paths^  of  wisdom 
by  three^  Sepharim,  namely : 1)  S’for  ; 2)  Sip- 
pur ספו ר;  and  3)  Sapher 5? ר  which  are  in  Him  one  and 
the  same.  They  consist  of  a decade  out  of  nothing® 
and  of  twenty-two  fundamental  letters.  He  divided 
the  twenty-two  consonants  into  three  divisions : 1) 
three א^וו ז  mothers,  fundamental  letters  or  first  ele- 
ments ; 2)  seven  double ; and  3)  twelve  simple  con- 
sonants. 

Section  2. 


The  decade®  out  of  nothing  is  analogous  to  that  of 
the  ten  fingers  (and  toes)  of  the  human  body,  five 
parallel  to  five,  and  in  the  centre  of  which  is  the 
covenant  with  the  only  One,  by  the  word  of  the  ^ 
tongue  and  the  rite  of  Abraham. 


Section  3. 

Ten  are  the  numbers  out  of  nothing,  and  not  the 
number  nine,  ten  and  not  eleven.  Comprehend  this 
great  wisdom,  tmderstand  this*^  knowledge,  inquire 
into  it  and  ponder  on  it,  render  it  evident  and  lead® 
the  Creator  back  to  His  throne  again. 


1)  See  Notes  couamencing  on  Page  47. 


12 


ספר יצירה . 


משהה ד . 

?נשר ספירו ה בלימ ה מרת ן עש ר ^אי ן לה ם 
סוף עומ ק ראשי ת ועומ ק אחרי ת עומ ק טו ב וע1מ ק 
רע עומ ק רו ם ועומ ק תח ה עומ ק מן_ר ח ועומ ק 
מערב עומ ק צפו ן ןעומ ק ךרו □ אדו ן הי ד אל י מל ף 
'נאמן מוש ל בבל ם ממעו ן קךש 1 ע ד עד י עד . 

משכה ה . 

עשר ספירו ה בלימ ה צפיית ן כמרא ה הבז ק 
והכליתן אי ן לה ן ק ץ ךבר ו בה ן ברצו א ושו ב 
ולמאמרו כסופ ה הדופ ו ולפנ י כסא ו ה ם מ^תחוים : 

משכה ר . 

.עשר ספירו ת בלימ ה נעו ץ סופ ן כקחלת ן וסחלח ן 
בסופן כשלהב ת קשוךה * בגחל ת שארו ן;הי ד ואי ן 
לו ע5נ י ולפנ י אח ד מ ה את ה סופר : 

•״*;•:״״TV - ־ T • ״ 

משכה ז . 

עשר ספירו ת בלימ ה בלו ם פי ף מלדב ר ולב ף 
.מלהרהר וא ם ר ץ פי ף לדב ר ולב ף להרה ר ע5ו ב 
למקום ע!לכ ף נאמ ר והחיו ת ךצו א ושו ב וע ל דב ר 
זה נכר ת בדית : 

*) רבינ ו האי י גאו ן ז״ ל כת ב בספ ר הקמיצ ה וז״ ל כת ב בע ל ספ ר יציר ה 
כשלהבת ש1ר ה בגחלת : 

S ־ : V V - ; T V V 


SEPHER  YEZIRAH. 


13 


Section  4. 

Tlie  decade  out  of  nothing  has  the  following  ten 
infinitudes : 

1)  The  beginning®  infinite.  6)  The  depth  infinite. 

2)  “ end  ‘‘  7)  ‘‘  East  ** 

3)  ‘‘  good  8 ״)  ‘‘  West 

4)  ‘‘  eviP®  ‘‘  9)  North  ״ 

5)  height  ‘‘  10)  ‘‘  South  “ 

and  the  only  Lord  God,  the  faithful  King,  rules  over 
all  from  His  holy  habitation  for  ever  and  ever. 

Section  6. 

The  appearance  of  the  ten  spheres  out  of  nothing 
is  like  a flash  of  lightning,  being  without  an  end.  His 
word  is  in  them,  when  they  go  and  return ; they  run 
by  His  order  like  a whirlwind  and  humble  them- 
selves  before  His  throne. 

Section  6. 

The  decade  of  existence  out  of  nothing  has  its  end 
linked  to  its  beginning  and  its  beginning  linked  to 
its  end,  just  as  the  flame  is  wedded  to  the  live  coal; 
because  the  Lord  is  one  and  there  is  not  a second 
one,  and  before  one  what  wilt  thou  count 

Section  7. 

Concerning  the  number  ten  of  the  spheres  of  ex- 
istence  out  of  nothing  keep  thy  tongue  from  speak- 
ing  and  thy  mind  from  pondering  on  it,  and  if  thy 
mouth  urges  thee  to  speak,  and  thy  heart  to  think 
about  it,  return!  as  it  reads:  ‘‘And  the  living  creatures 
ran  and  returned,”  (Ezekiel  6, 14.)  and  upon  this^^  was 
the  covenant  made. 


14 


ספר ’צירה . 


מ! פ ו כ ה ח . 


.עשר ספירור ת בלימד־ ז אח ת ת ח אלהי ם חיי ם 
בחף ו?זבוך ך ^מ ו שד־ ‘ ח י העולמי ם קו ל ורו ח 
ודבור והו א ח ח הקוךש : עת.י ם רו ח מרו ח חק ק 
וחצב ב ה עשרי ם ושתי ם אותיו ת יסו ד של ש אמו ת 

: V T - T : ״ : ־ ״ * ; T • 

ושבע קפולו ת ושתי ם עשר ה ?שוטו ת ורו ח אח ת 
מהן: של ש מל ם מח ח חק ק וחצ ב בה ן(עשרי ם 
ו׳טתלם אותיות ) תה ו ובה ו רפ ש וטי ט חקק ן כמי ן 
ערוגח הציב ך כמי ן חומ ה סככ ס כמי ן מעזיב ה 
(רצק^עליהם של ג ונעש ה עפ ר שנאמ ר כ י לשל ג 
יאמר הו א ארץ) : ארב ע א ש ממל ם הק ק וחצ ב ב ה 
כסא הכבו ד שרפי ם ואופני ם וחיו ת הקוד ש ומלאכ י 
השרה ומשלשת ן יס ד מעונ ו שנ>?מ ר עוש ה 

־־ T• ״ • ; T : T ן V - V:  V V : - T 

מלאכיו רוחו ת משרתי ו א ש לוה ט ביר ר שלש ה 

T : - * *•  ••  T ;T  : T T : - 

אותיות מ ן חפשוטו ת ?סו ד של ש אמור ת א״מ״שו ! 
וקבעם בשמ ו הגדו ל וחת ם בה ם ש ש קצוות : 

T):  ••  V T - T : T - : • T:I  T: 

*) נוסח א אחרינא : חצבן : 
t) נ״ א סיבב ן : 

II) .יין } הוסיפו : חת ם רו ח בע ד 


SEPHER  YEZIRAH. 


15 


Section  8. 

The  following  are  the  ten  categories  of  existence 
out  of  nothing ; 

1)  The  spirit  of  the  living  God,  praised  and  glori- 
fied  be  the  name  of  Him  who  lives  to  all  eternity. 
The  articulate  word  of  creative  power,  the  spirit  and 
the  word  are  what  we  call  the  holy  spirit.^^ 

2)  Air  emanated  from  the  spirit  by  which  He 
formed  and  established  twenty-two  consonants,  sta- 
mina.  Three  of  them,  however,  are  fundamental 
letters,  or  mothers,  seven  double  and  twelve  simple 
consonants ; hence  the  spirit  is  the  first  one. 

3)  Primitive  water  emanated  from  the  air.  He 
formed  and  established  by  it  Bohu^^  (water,  stones) 
mud  and  loam,  made  them  like  a bed,  put  them  up 
like  a wall,  and  surrounded  them  as  with  a rampart, 
put  coldness  upon  them  and  they  became  dust,  as  it 
reads : “He  says  to  the  snow  (coldness)  be  thou 
earth.”  (Job  37,  6.) 

4)  Fire  or  ether  emanated  from  the  water.  He 
established  by  it  the  throne  of  glory,  the  Seraphim 
and  Ophanim,  the  holy  living  creatures  and  the  angels, 
and  of  these  three  He  formed  His  habitation,  as  it 
reads : “Who  made  His  angels  spirits.  His  ministers 
a flaming  fire.”  (Psalm  104,  4.)  He  selected  three 
consonants  from  the  simple  ones  which  are  in  the 
hidden  secret  of  three  mothers  or  first  elements: 
,א׳׳מ׳״ש  air,  water  and  ether  or  fire.  He  sealed  them 
with  spirit  and  fastened  them  to  His  great  name  and 
sealed  with  it  six  dimensions.^® 


16 


ספר יצירה . 


חמ׳ם חת ם ח ם ופג ה למעל ה וחתמ 1 ביה ו 

T T - T “ T ; “: ־ T : T : 

עזש חת ם תח ת ופנ ה למט ה וחתמ ו בהי ו 

T- ־ ־ ־  TT :־7:  T ; 

שבע חת ם מזר ח ופנ ה לפני ו וחתמ ו בוי ה 

7 - V ־ • 7 7 : 7 7 : 7 : 

שמונה חת ם מער ב ופנ ה לאחרי ו וחתמ ו בוה י 

: 7 7 ־ ־; ־ 7 7 T : ־ ;“ 7 ; 7 : 

תשע חת ם דרו ם ופנ ה לימינ ו וחתמ ו ביו ה 

“ 7 “ 7 7 7 ״ ״ : 7 : 

עשר חת ם צפו ן ופנ ה לשמאל ו וחתמ ו בהו י 

7 7)  7 - 7 V V ״ : : 7 : 

מ  TD כ ה ה . 

אלו.עש ר ספירו ת ?לימ ה אח ת רו ח אלהי ס 
חיים רו ח מרו ח מ.י ם מרו ח א ש ממ.י ם רו ם ותח ת 
מזרח ומער ב צפו ן ודחם : 

7;  I 7 7“;-  7;  • 

פרק שני - 

מ פ ו כ ה א . 

עשרים ושתי ם אותיו ת.יסו ד של ש אמו ת ושב ע 
?פולות ושתי ם עש.ר ה פשוטו ת של ש אמו ת א״מ״ ש 
לסוךן כ ף זכו ת וכ ף חוב ה ולשו ן ח ק מכרי ע בנת.י ם 
שלש אמו ת א״מ״ ש מ - דוממ ת ש ׳ שוך.ק ת א ׳ אוי ר 
רוח מכח ע בנתום : 

מ פ ו כ ה ב . 

עשרים ושת.י ם אותיו ת יסו ד חקכן ן חצב ן צרפ ן 


SEPHER  YEZIRAH. 


17 


5)  He  sealed^®  the  height  and  turned  towards 

above,  and  sealed  it  with יה ו 

6)  He  sealed  the  depth,  turned  towards  below  and 

sealed  it  with רד ו 

7)  He  sealed  the  east  and  turned  forward,  and 

sealed  it  with  ,וייד 

8)  He  sealed  the  west  and  turned  backward,  and 

sealed  it  with  ^וה 

9)  He  sealed  the  south  and  turned  to  the  right  and 

sealed  it  with יו ה 

10)  He  sealed  the  north  and  turned  to  the  left  and 
sealed  it  with הו י 

Section  9. 

These  are  the  ten  spheres  of  existence  out  of. 
nothing.  From  the  spirit  of  the  living  God  emana- 
ted  air,  from  the  air,  water,  from  the  water,  fire  or 
ether,  from  the  ether,  the  height  and  the  depth,  the 
East  and  West,  the  North  and  South. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Section  1. 

There  are  twenty-two  letters,  stamina.  Three  of 
them,  however,  are  the  first  elements,  fundamentals 
or  mothers,  seven  double  and  twelve  simple  conso- 
nants.  The  three  fundamental  letters א״׳כל׳׳ ש  have  as 
their  basis  the  balance.  In  one  scale^'^  is  the  merit 
and  in  the  other  criminality,  which  are  placed  in 
equilibrium  by  the  tongue.  The  three  fundamental 
letters א״מ״׳ ש  signify,  as  מ is  mute  like  the  water  and 
ש hissing  like*  the  fire,  .there  is  א among  them,  a 
breath  of  air  which  reconciles  them. 

Section  2. 

The  twenty-two  letters  which  form  the  stamina 


ספר יצירה , 


18 


^הןלן והמיך ן ןצ ר בה □ א ת כ ל היצו ר וא ת כ ל 
העתיד לצור : 

T • TV 

בל פ ו כ ה ג . 

,עשרים וע5תן ם אותיו ת לסו ד חקק ן בקו ל רוצב ן 
?רוח קבע ן בפ ה בחמ ש מקומיו ת אותיו ת אהח׳ ע 
בגרון גיכ״ ק ?חי ף דטלנ״ ת בלעוו ן ץשוסך ץ בשני ם 
בומ״ף בחפתים : 

בל פ ו כ ד ו ד ♦ 

.עשרים ושתי ם אותיו ת יסו ד,ק?ע ן בגלג ל כמי ן 
ח1מה ברל׳ א לפערי ם וחוז ר הגלגלי ם פני ם ואחו ר 

.ן ; : ■ ן . T . - J - - ..  J ״ : T 

וסימן לדב ר אי ן בטוב ה למעל ה מענ ג ואי ן ברע ה 
*למטה מנגע : 

: “ ד ״ V “ 

בל פ ו כ ד ו ה . 

כיצד צרפ ן שקל ן והמיך ן א ע ם כל ן וכל ן ע ם א 
ב ע ם כל ן וכל ן ע ט ב וחוזרו ת חליל ה .ונמצאו ת 
ברל״א לפערי ם ונמצ א כ ל היצו ר וכ ל הדבו ר יוצ א 

: : T ״ ; • ; T ; : “ T T • • " 

משם* אחד : 

T V ••  • 

בל פוכ ה ר . 

יצר ממ ש •מתה ו ועש ה אר : אינ ו ישנ ו וחצ ב 

“ T : ;V  ••  V T T : ’ T - - T 

עמוךים גדולי ם מא.וי ר שאינ ו נתפ ס וז. ה סימ ן או ת 


*) נ״ א בש ם : 


SEPHER  YEZIRAH. 


19 


after  having  been  appointed  and  established  by  God, 
He  combined,  weighed  and  changed  them,  and  formed 
by  them  all  beings  which  are  in  existence,  and  all 
those  which  will  be  formed  in  all  time  to  come. 

Section  3. 

He  established  twenty-two  letters,  stamina,  by  the 
voice,  formed  by  the  breath  of  air  and  fixed  them  on 
five  places  in  the  human  mouth,  namely : 1)  gutturals, 
2 א ה ח ע)  palatals,  3 ג י כ ק)  linguals,  ר ט ל נ ת 

4)  dentals,  5 ז שפר ץ)  labials,  ב ו כ ל ף 

Section  4. 

He  fixed  the  twenty-two  letters,  stamina,  on  the 
sphere  like  a wall  with  two  hundred  and  thirty-one 
gates,^®  and  turned  the  spheres  forward  and  backward. 
For  an  illustration  may  serve  the  three  letters, ענ ג 
There  is  nothing  better  than  joy,  and  nothing  worse 
than  sorrow  or  plague.^^ 

Section  5. 

But  how  was  it  done  ? He  combined,^®  weighed  and 
changed : the  א with  all  the  other  letters  in  succession, 
and  all  the  others  again  with  ב ; א with  all,  and  all 
again  with  ב ; and  so  the  whole  series  of  letters.^^ 
Hence  it  follows  that  there  are  two  hundred  and 
thirty-one^^  formations,  and  that  every  creature  and 
every  word  emanated  from  one  name.^^ 

Section  6. 

He  created  a reality  out  of  nothing,  called  the 
nonentity  into  existence  and  hewed,  as  it  were,  co- 
lossal  pillars  from  intangible  air.  This  has  been 
shown  by  the  example  of  combining  the  letter  א with 


20 


ספר יצירה . 


א ע ם כל ן וכל ן ע ם א צופ ה ומימ ר ועש ה א ת כ ל 

T V T T:  - V • )T  It  \ 

היצור ואד : כ ל הדבו ר ש □ אח ד וסימ ן לדב ר 
עקרים ושתי ם חפצי ם בגו ף א : 

. פר ק שלישי • 

נל פ ו כ ה א . 

שלש אמו ת א״מ״ ש .יסוד ן כ ף זכו ת וכ ף ח1ב ח 
[לשון רו ק מ?ךי_ ע ב;ת: ט של ש אמו ת א״מ״ ש סו ד 
גדול מופל א ומכוס ה וחת ס בש ש טבעו ת ויצאו * 

: T I T - : T : T ; T ; T 

מהם אוי ר ומי ם וא ש ומה ם נולד ו אבו ת ומאמר : 

: • ״ • • T ; V ־ • T 

תולדות: 

כלפוכדז ב . 

ש4ש >^מו ת א״מ״ ש חקק ן חצב ן צרפ ן שקל ן 
והמירן וצ ר בה ם של ש אמו ת א״מ״ ש בעול ם ושל ש 

; “ • T V T T ; I T ״ : T ; T T V V 

אמות א״מ״ ש בשנ ה ושל ש אמור ת א״מ״ ש בנפ ש 

:T ; T T : V V ״ ; V V : V V 

זכר ונקבה : 

T)•■;  TT 

כל פ ו כ ה ג . 

שלש אמו ת א״מ״ ש בעול ם אוי ר ומי ם וא ש שמי ם 

T : • - — T T V V;  • T ־ • 

נכך>^ו מ?^ ש ואך ץ נבר^ ת ממ.י ם וא.וי ר מרו ח 
מכךי_ע בנת.ים : 

*) נ״ א וממנ ו יוצאי ם א< ט ומי ם ומתחלקי ם זכ ר ונקב ה אמו ת 

; • • • ־ • • ־ : •  TT ^ ;••׳ T T " 

א״מ״ש ןסוד ן ומה ן נולד ו אבו ת שממנ ו נבר א הכל : 


SEPHER  YEZIRAH. 


21 


all  the  other  letters,  and  all  the  other  letters  with 
Aleph  (א).  He^^  predetermined,  and  by  speaking 
created  every  creature  and  every  word  by  one  name. 
For  an  illustration  may  serve  the  twenty-two  ele- 
mentary  substances  by  the  primitive  substance  of 
Aleph25  (א). 


CHAPTER  III. 

Section  1.* 

The  three  first  elements, אי׳כל׳י ש  are  typified  by  a 
balance,  in  one  scale  the  merit  and  in  the  other  the 
criminahty,  which  are  placed  in  equihbrium  by  the 
tongue.  These  three  mothers, א׳׳מ״ ש  are  a great, 
wonderful  and  unknown  mystery,  and  are  sealed  by 
six26  rings,  or  elementary  circles,  namely : air,  water 
and  fire  emanated  from  them,  which  gave  birth  to 
progenitors,  and  these  progenitors  gave  birth  again 
to  some  offspring. 

Section  2. 

God  appointed  and  established  the  three  mothers 
,א׳׳מ״ש  combined,  weighed  and  changed  them,  and 
formed  by  them  three  mothers א׳׳כל׳׳ ש  in  the  world, 
in  the  year  and  in  man,  male  and  female. 

Section  3. 

The  three  mothers א׳׳מ׳׳ ש  in  the  world  are:  air, 
water  and  fire.  Heaven  was  created  from  fire  or 
ether ; the  earth  (comprising  sea  and  land)  from  the 
elementary  water ; and  the  atmospheric  air  from  the 
elementary  air,  or  spirit,  which  establishes  the  bal- 
ance  among  them. 


22 


ספר י צ י ר ה . 


נל ע ז כ ה ד . 

אמות א״מ״ ש בשנ ה חו ם וקו ר ורוי ה ח1 ם 


נברא מא ש קו ר נבר א ממי ם וחי ה מרו ח מכרי ע 

• : T : • J ••  ••  T • ־ ־ • : • T • • - ״ - 

בנתים: 

מ ע ז ה ה ה . 

שלש אמו ת א״מ״ ש בנפ ש זכ ר ונקב ה רא ש ובט ן 
וגויה רא ש נבר א מא ש ובט ן נבר א ממי ם ונוי ח 

: • T : • T • • • ״ V V ן • : T • - • : • ד 


מרוח מכךי_ ע בנתלם : 

נל ע ז ה ה ר . 

בבא א . המלי ף או ת א ׳ ברו ח וקש ר ל ו כת ר 
וצרפן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם אוי ר בעול ם רוי ה בשנ ה 

T T : T*  : T T •—  V T T : V T V | T : T : 

גויה בנפ ש זכ ר בא״מ״ ש ונקב ה בא״ש״ם : 

T T : tI  ••  • V V:  • T T VV  : T*  ! 


נל ט ו כ ה ז . 

בבא ב . המלי ך או ת מ ' במי ם וקש ר ל ו כת ר 
וצרפן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם אר ץ בעול ם וקו ר בשנ ה 

• T T I VV  V T T ! VT  V T * T : • ־ T T 


ובטן בנפ ש זכ ר בא״מ״ש * 


ונקבה במ״ש״א : 

T - : T I••  : 


נל ט ו כ ה ח . 

בבא ג . המלי ך או ת ש ׳ בא ש וקש ר ל ו כת ר 
וצרפן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם שמי ם בעול ם וחו ם בשנ ה 

: T V T T : VT  V I T .*  T - ״ T T ; ; T T 

וראש בנפ ש זכ ר ונקבה : 

T I"  : T T V V : : 


*) נ״ א במ״א״יי} : 


SEPHER  YEZIRAH. 


23 


Section  4. 

The  three  mothers א״מ״ ש  produce  in  the  year^'^ : 
heat,  coldness^®  and  moistness.  Heat  was  created 
from  fire,  coldness  from  water,  and  moistness  from 
air  which  equalizes  them. 

Section  5. 

The  three  mothers אי׳כל״׳ ש  produce  in  man,  mala 
and  female,  breast,  body  and  head.  The  head  was 
created  from  fire,  the  breast  from  water,  and  the 
body  from  air,  which  places  them  in  equilibrium. 

Section  6. 

First  Division.  God  let  the  letter  Aleph  (א)  pre- 
dominate  in  primitive  air,  crowned^^  it,  combined  one 
with  the  other,^®  and  formed  by  them  the  air  in  the 
world,  moistness  in  the  year,  and  the  breast  in  man, 
male  and  female ; in  male  by א״כל״ ש  and  in  female 
by :א׳׳ש׳׳ ם 

Section  7. 

Second  Division.  He  let  the  letter  Mem  (מ)  pre- 
dominate  in  primitive  water,  and  crowned  it,  combined 
one  with  the  other,  and  formed  by  them  the  earth, 
(including  land  and  sea)  coldness  in  the  year,  and 
the  belly  in  male  and  female ; in  male  by  ,א׳״כל׳׳ש^^  in 
female  by  :כל״ש״ א 

Section  8. 

Third  Division.  He  let  the  letter  Sheen  (ש)  pre- 
dominate  in  primitive  fire,  crowned  it,  combined  one 
with  the  other,  and  formed  by  them,  heaven  in  the 
world,  heat  in  the  year,  and  the  head  of  male  and 
female.^^ 


24 


ספר יצירה . 


פרק רביעי . 

בל ש כ ה א . 

^בע כפולור ת בג״ ד בפר״ר ת מתנהגות : בלעת י 
לשונות ב״ ב ג״ ג ד״ ד כ״ כ פ״ פ ת״ ר ת״ ת תבני ת 
רף וכןש ה גמ ר וחלש : 

בל ש ה ה ב . 

שבע כפולו ת בל ד כפר ת ןסוך ן חכמ ה ועוש ר 
וזרע וחיי ם וממשל ה שלו ם וחן : 

;V“ ; ־ * T T T : V : • • ( 

בל ש כ ד ז כ . 

שבע ?פולור ת בג״ ד כפרו ת בדבו ר ובר1מוך ה 
תמורת חכמ ה אול ת תמורר ה עש ר עונ י תמור ת 

: - T ; T ״  V ~ : VV • ; - 

זרע שממ ה תמור ת חייכ ם מו ת תמורר : ממשל ה 

: T T : - ־ •  VT : ־ T T ; V 

עבדות ^מור ת שלו ם מלחמ ה תמור ת ח ן כיעור : 
בלשכה ד . 

שבע כפולו ת בג״ ד כפר ת מעל ה ומט ה מזר ח 

V*־ ; : ־־־: ־ T ־ • T;  • T 

ומעךב צפו ן ודרו ם והיכ ל הקר ש מכו ן באמצ ע 
והוא נוש א א ת כלן : 

בל ש כ ה ה . 

שבע כפולור ת בג״ ד כפר ת שבע ה ו4 א שש ח 

״ - . . . . . ן . . T 


SEPHER  YEZIRAH. 


25 


CHAPTER  lY. 

Section  1. 

The^^  seven  double  letters, בג ר כפר ת  witb  a duplicity 
of  pronunciation,  aspirated  and  unaspirated,  namely: 

,בב , גג , דר , כב , פפ , רר , תת  serve  as  a model  of  softness  and 
hardness,  strength  and  weakness. 

Section  2. 

Seven^  double  letters,  ,בג ר כפרת  shall,  as  it  were, 
symbolize  wisdom,  wealth,  fruitfulness,  hfe,  dominion, 
peace  and  beauty. 

Section  3. 

Seven  double  letters  serve  to  signify  the  antithesis 
to  which  human  life  is  exposed.  The  antithesis  of 
wisdom  is  foolishness ; of  wealth,  poverty ; of  fruit- 
fulness,  childlessness;  of  life,  death;  of  dominion, 
dependence ; of  peace,  war ; and  of  beauty,  ugliness. 

Section  4. 

The  seven  double  consonants  are  analogous  to  the 
six  dimensions : height  and  depth.  East  and  West, 
North  and  South,  and  the  holy  temple  that  stands 
in  the  centre,  which  carries  them  all. 

Section  5. 

The  double  consonants  are  seven, בג ר כפר ת  and  not 
six,  they  are  seven  and  not  eight ; reflect  upon  this 


26 


ספר יצירה . 


ע!בעה ול ^ ^מונ ה בחו ן בה ם וחקו ר בה ם והעמ ד 
דבר ע ל בורי ו והוש ב יוצ ר ע ל מכונו : 

: - ; - T T 

מ פ ו ה ה ר . • 

^בע כפולו ת בג״ ד כפר״ ח ןם1 ד חקק ן חצב ן צףפ ן 
ע5קלן והמיר ן וצ ר בה ם ^טבע ה כוכבי ם בעול ם 

T T • T T : • V T T : I T • : JT  I:  T 

טבעה ימי ם ב;טנד־ ז;טבע ה שערי ם בנפי ש זכ ר; 

T T V V ; * T ; T ; ״ T T : * T TI  * 

ונקברה 

בל פ ו ה ה ז . 

טכעה כוכבי ם בעול ם ^טבת י צד ק מאדי ם חמ ה^ 

T - • - I VV  ־ : “ T T • T T : • 

עה כוכ ב לבנ ה ^טבע ה ימי ם ב;טנ ה שכע ח ימ י 

; T : • T T : • T T : * T T ; T 

השבוע ^טבע ה שערי ם בנפ; ט זכ ר ונקב ח ;טת י 

...  t)•*  ; T T VV  : ״ T ; T : * “ T  ״ ־ 

עינים ע!ת י אזני ם ^טנ י נקב י הא ף והפה : 


נל פ ו כ ה ח . 

בבא א . המלי ך או ת פ בחכמ ה וקש ר ל ו כת ר 

T T ״ : ״ ; : 7:7 : V V - It 

וצרפן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם לבנ ה בעול ם יו ם רא;טו ן 

I • T T 7 7:  V T T : VT  V I T : T : 

בשנה ועי ן ןמי ן בנפ; ט זכ ר ונקבה : 
מ פ ו כ ה ה . 


בבא ב . המלי ך או ת נ ׳ בעוש ר וקשו ר ל ו כת ר 
וצרפן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם מאדי ם בעול ם יו ם שנ י 

;I T it • • . - - . . — . » . ך .. . 


בשנה [אז ן.ימי ן םפ ש 


זכר ונקבה : 

T I ••  I T T 


SEPHER  YEZIRAH. 


27 


fact,  inquire  about  it,  and  make  it  so  evident,  tliat^® 
the  Creator  be  acknowledged  to  be  on  His  throne . 
again. 


Section  6. 


The  seven  double  consonants,  stamina,  having 
been  designed  and  established,  combined,  weighed, 
and  changed  by  God,  He  formed  by  them : seven 
planets  in  the  world,  seven  days  in  the  year,  seven 
gates,  openings  of  the  senses,  in  man,  male  and 
female. 


Section  7. 

The  seven  planets  in  the  world  are Saturn,  Jupi- 
ter.  Mars,  Sun,  Venus,  Mercury,  Moon.  Seven  days 
in  the  year  are  the  seven  days  of  the  week ; seven 
gates  in  man,  male  and  female,  are : two  eyes,  two 
ears,  two  nostrils  and  the  mouth. 


Section  8. 


First  Division.  He  let  the  letter  ב predominate  in 
wisdom,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the  other  and 
formed  by  them:  the  moon  in  the  world,  the  first 
day  in  the  year,  and  the  right  eye  in  man,  male  and 
female. 


Section  9. 


Second  Division.  He  let  the  letter  ג predominate 
in  wealth,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the  other, 
and  formed  by  them : Mars  in  the  world,  the  second 
day  in  the  year,  and  the  right  ear  in  man,  male  and 
female. 


28 


ספר יצירה . 


נל ט ו כ ה י . ‘ 

בבא ג . הקזלי ף או ת ד בןר1 ע ןכןען ר ל ) כח ר 
וצרפן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם חמ ה בעול ם יו ם ^טליש י 

• • : T T T - V T T : VT  %*  1 T : T : 

בלטנה ונהי ר ימי ן בנפ ש זכ ר ונקבה : 

:דד ; * ; * T : TT  VV  : I 

בל ט ו כ ה י״ א . 

בבא ד . המלי ך או ת כ ׳ בחיי ם וכן^ ר ל ו כת ר 
וצרפן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם נוג ה בעול ם יו ם רביע י 

; T : T ן V T T : V T V ־ T T : • • 

?^נה ועי ן שמא ל בנפ ש זכ ר ונקבה : 
נל ט ו ה ה י״ ב . 

בבא ה . המלי ך או ת פ ' בממשל ה וק^ט ר ל ו כת ר 

V V -It;  T T ; V : ) • : * T T 

וצרפן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם כוכ ב בעול ם יו ם המימט י 

: T T T V T T : V T V I T : T ; ־ • • 

ב^נה ואז ן שמא ל בנפ׳ ט זכ ר ונקבה : 
בל ט ו ה ד ז י״ ג . 

בבא ו . המלי ך או ת ר ׳ בלטלו ם וקלט ר ל ו כת ר 

V V “It:  T : ) • ; • T T 

וצרפן ז ה כז ה וצ ר בה ם לטבת י בעול ם יו ם לטש י 

" • T T “ ; “ V T T : V T V I T : T : 

ב^טנה ונהי ר שמא ל בנפל ט זכ ר ונקבה : 

t|*•  ; T T VV  : : * : T T : 

בל ש ה ה י״ד . 

בבא ז . המלי ך אור ה ת ׳ בח ן וק^ט ר 7־ i כרז ר 
וצרפן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם צד ק בעול ם יו ם לטב ת 

T “ T T J VV  V T T : VT  V )7  ; T ; 

בלטנה ופ ה בנפל ט זכ ר ונקבה : 

:  TT  VV!  V TT ! •״ Tl 


SEPHER  YEZIBAH. 


29 


Section  10. 

Third  Division.  He  let  the  letter  ר predominate 
in  producibility,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the 
other,  and  formed  by  them  : the  sun  in  the  world, 
the  third  day  in  the  year,  the  right  nostril  in  man, 
male  and  female. 

Section  11. 


Fourth  Division.  He  let  the  letter  כ predominate 
in  life,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the  other, 
and  formed  by  them:  Venus  in  the  world,  the  fourth 
day  in  the  year,  and  the  left  eye  in  man,  male  and 
female. 


Section  12. 


Fifth  Division.  He  let  the  letter  פ predominate 
in  dominion,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the  other, 
and  formed  by  them : Mercury  in  the  world,  the  fifth 
day  in  the  year,  and  the  left  ear  in  man,  male  and 
female. 

Section  13. 


Sixth  Division.  He  let  the  letter  ר predominate 
in  peace,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the  other, 
and  formed  by  them : Saturn  in  the  world,  the  sixth 
day  in  the  year,  and  the  left  nostril  in  man,  male  and 
female. 


Section  14. 


Seventh  Division.  He  let  the  letter  n!)redominate 
in  beauty,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the  other, 
and  formed  by  them:  Jupiter  in  the  world,  the 
seventh  day  in  the  year,  and  the  mouth  of  man, 
male  and  female. 


30 


ספר יצירה . 


משכה ט״ר . 

ע1כע כפולו ת בג״ ד כפר״ ת ^בה ן נחכןקי ן שמ ה 
עולמות שבע ה ךקיעי ן עובע ה ארצו ת שבע ה:מי ם 
עזבעה נהרו ת ע2בע ה מדברו ת שבע ה ימי ם ^פבע ה 

* ; T T ; • T : * T : • T : T ־ • : T 

שבועות שבע ה עסני ם שבע ה שמיטי ן שבע ה יובלו ת 

: T:•)••:  T::  •T  T;‘  ; 

לפיכף חב ב א ת השביעיו ת תחרז ו כ ל השמ:ם : 
משכה ט״ז . 

שתי אבני □ בונור ת שנ י בתי □ של ש אבני □ 

: T • ; • ״ T T • T . 

בונות שש ה בתי □ ארב ע אבני ם בונו ת ארבע ה 

*T-: •T  T • ־־: TT 

ועשרי□ בתי ם חמ ש אבני ם בונו ת מא ה ועשרי ם 

:T * T • : V • ״ V:  T ••  * T : • 

בתי□ ש ש אבני □ בונו ת שב ע מאו ת ועשרי □ 

T ״ “ ; ־ T ״ ; ־ ־ • • : V ; • 

בתי□ שב ע אבני □ בונור ז המשר ת אלפי □ 

^ . . . - . ן . . ן . 

(וארבע) וארבעי ם בתי ם מכא ן ואיל ף צ א _וחשו ב 
מה שאי ן הפ ה :כול ה לרב ר ןאי ן האז ן.יכול ה 
לשמו.ע: 

פרק חמישי - 

משכה א . 

^תי□.עשר ה פשוטו ת הר ז חט״ י לנ״ ס עצ״ ק 


SEPHER  YEZIRAH. 


31 


Section  15. 

By  the  seven  double  consonants, בג ר כפר ת  were  also 
designed  seven  worlds  (at'wrE^),  seven  heavens,  seven 
lands,  (probably  climates,)  seven  seas,  (probably 
around  Palestine,)  seven  rivers,  seven  deserts,  seven 
days  a week,  seven  weeks  from  Passover  to  Pente- 
cost,  there  is  a cycle  of  seven  years,  the  seventh  is 
the  release  year,  and  after  seven  release  years  is  ju- 
bilee.  Hence,  God  loves  the  number  seven  under 
the  whole  heaven.®^  (In  the  whole  nature.) 

Section  16. 

Two  stones  build  two  houses,  three  stones  build 
six  houses,  four  build  twenty-four  houses,  five  build 
one  hundred  and  twenty  houses,  six  build  seven 
hundred  and  twenty  houses  and  seven  build  five 
thousand  and  forty^®  houses.  From  thence  further 
go  and  reckon  what  the  mouth  cannot  express  and 
the  ear  cannot  hear. 

CHAPTER  y. 

Section  1. 

The  twelve  simple  letters ה״״ר׳ ז ח׳׳ט״ י ד׳ג״ ם ע׳׳צ׳׳ ק 
symbolize,  as  it  were,  the  organs  of  speaking,  think- 


32 


ספר יצירה . 


ןיסוךן שיח ח הרהו ר הלו ף ךא\ ה שמץ ה מעש ה 
השמיעו רי ח שינ ה רוג ז לעיט ה שחוק : 

- . ך V : ״ I ; T 

מ פ ו כ ד ! ב . 

עתים עשר ח פשוטו ת הר ז חט״ י לנ״ ס עצ״ ק 
ןסוךן עני ם ^עש ר גבול י אלכסו ן גמ ל מזרחיר : 
רומית גבו ל מזרחי ת צפוני ת גבו ל מזרחי ת החתי ת 

: י : T ״ : ״ : ״ : T • - ; . 

גבול דתמי ת רומי ת גמ ל דרומי ת ימזרחי ת גמ ל 

: ; • ״ : : ״ ״ : T * : 

דחמירז תחתיו־ : גבול־ ‘ מערביר־ ז רומי ת גבוי ^ 
מערבירת דרומי ת גבויד ‘ מערבי ת תחתיר ח גבו ל 

T • : ״ : T • - : • : 

צפונית רומי ת גבו ל צפוני ת מערבי ת גבו ל צפוני ת 
החתירה ומסרחבי ן והולכי ן ע ד ^עד י ע ד וה ן די ן 
גמלות עולם : 

T ; 

בל פ ו ל ה ג . 

עתים .עשר ה פעוטו n הו״ ז חט״ י לנ״ ס עצ״ ק 
יסודן חקנן ן חצב ן צרפ ן עקל ן ןהמיר ן וצ ר בה ם 
עתים עשר ה מזלו ת בעול ם עני ם עש ר חדעי ם 

V ^ I : - . ן . ן - ן j . . . ן . ן .-ן . . 

בשנה עני ם עש ר מנהיגי ם בנפ ע זכ ר ונקבה : 

:  TT : * ״ T T ־ : • * ;  T|••;  TT  VV 

נל פ ו כ ה ד . 

עתים עשר ה מזלו ת בעול ם טל ה עו ר תאומי ם 


SEPHER  YEZIRAH. 


33 


ing,  walking,  seeing,  hearing,  working,  coition,  smell- 
ing,  sleep,  anger,  swallowing  and  laughing. 

Section  2. 

The  twelve  simple  consonants ה׳״ו״׳ ז ח׳״ט״ י ל׳״נ״׳ ם ע׳׳צ״ ק 
symbohze  also  twelve  oblique  points:  east  height, 
north  east,  east  depth,  south  height,  south  east,  south 
depth,  west  height,  south  west,  west  depth,  north 
height,  north  west,  north  depth.  They  grew  wider 
and  wider  to  all  eternity,  and  these  are  the  boundaries 
of  the  world. 

Section  3. 


The  twelve  simple  letters ה״׳ו״ ז ח׳׳ט״׳י־ י ל״׳נ׳׳ ם ע״צ׳׳ ק 
stamina,  having  been  designed,  estabhshed,  com- 
bined,  weighed  and  changed  by  God,  He  performed 
by  them : twelve  constellations  in  the  world,  twelve 
months  in  the  year,  and  twelve  leaders  (organs)  in  the 
human  body,  male  and  female. 

Section  4. 

The  twelve  constellations  in  the  world  are : Aries, 


34 


ספר יצירה . 


סרטן אך: ה בהול ה מאןנ:־ ם עקר ב.קש ח גר י ךל י 
דגים: עזני ם עש ר חדשי ם בשנ ה ניס ן איי ר סיו ן 
הסוז א ב אלו ל תשר י חעו ן בסל ו טב ה שב ט אדר : 

V:  T י ; ״ ; • }T  ; V T-:  T : 


שנים עש ר מנהיגי ם בנפ ש זכ ר ונקב ה ^טת י ידי ם 

I“  T T **I ״ ־ :  VV . ן . ך ... ן . ן J . . ן. - . 

עזתי תלי ם שת י כליו ת מר ה דקי ן ככ ר (קורקבן ) 

גרגרת קב ה טחול : 

מ  tD כ ה ה . 


בבא א׳מהא . המלי ך או ת ה ' בע5יח ה וקע5 ר ל ו 

7 7 • • 7 * : * ; : ־ 7 : 7 ( - 

כתר וצרפ ן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם טל ה בעול ם וניס ן 

*. 7* . 7  7  V I*. ״ • : 7 7 *. * 7 17*;  7 ; V 

בשנה ות ל ןמי ן בנפע : זכ ר ונקבה : 


מ ט כ ה ר . 

בבא ב ׳ מהא . המלי ך או ת ר בהרהו ר וק^ט ר ל ו 

7 7 • • 7 * : י ; ; * : :  17 ־ 

כתר וצרפ ן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בח ס שו ר בעול ם ואיי ר 

*. 7 : 7 ן 7 • : 7 : V 7 7 : •/7  V 

ב^טנה וכולי א ימני ת בנפ^ ט זכ ר ונקבה : 

; 7 7 : : 7 : 7 * : *. * *. * 7 7 : •• [ 7 

מ ט כ ד • ז . 

בבא ג ׳ מהא . המלי ך או ת ד בהלו ף וק^ ר ל ו 
כתר וצרפ ן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם תאומי ם בעול ם וסיו ן 

17  • : 7 : * ; *.*  7 7 : *.*7  *.*  I 7 ; 7 ; 

בשנה ורג ל שמא ל בנפ ש זכ ר ונקבה : 

7 1•••  77  *.••••!  : *.•  V 7 7 : 


SEPHER  YEZIRAH. 


35 


Taurus,  Gemini,  Cancer,  Leo,  Virgo,  Libra,  Scorpio, 
Sagitarius,  Capricornus,  Aquarius  and  Pisces.  The 
twelve  months  of  the  year  are : Nisan,  lyar,  Sivan, 
Tamus,  Ab,  Elul,  Tishri,  Marcheshvan,  Kislev, 
Teves,  Schevat  and  Adar.  The  twelve  organs  of  the 
human  body  are  : two  hands,  two  feet,  two  kidneys, 
gall,  small  intestines,  liver,  gullet^^  or  esophagus, 
stomach  and  milt. 

Section  5. 

First  Part, 

First  Division.  God  let  the  letter  ה predominate 
in  speaking,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the 
other,  and  formed  by  them : Aries  (the  Earn)  in  the 
world,  the  month  Nisan  in  the  year,  and  the  right 
foot  of  the  human  body,  male  and  female. 

Section  6. 

Second  Division.  He  let  the  letter  ו predominate 
in  thinking,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the  other, 
and  formed  by  them : Taurus  (the  Bull)  in  the  world, 
the  month  lyar  in  the  year  and  the  right  kidney  of 
the  human  body,  male  and  female. 

Section  7. 

Third  Division.  He  let  the  letter  ז predominate 
in  walking,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the  other, 
and  formed  by  them:  Gemini  (the  Twins)  in  the 
world,  the  month  Sivan  in  the  year,  and  the  left  foot 
of  the  human  body,  male  and  female. 


36 


ספר י צ י ר ה ז 


מ ט ו כ ה ח . 

בבא א ׳ מ ן השניה . המלי ך או ת ח ׳ בראי ה ולן^ ר 
לו כת ר וצרפ ן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם סרט ן בעול ם 

T ; It:-  V T T : VT  V It  : t : 

ותמוז בשנ ה ן.י ד.ימי ן בנפ ש זכ ר ונקבה : 


משכה טי . 

בבא ס מ ן השניה . המלי ך אור : ט ' בגמיע ה 
וקשר ל ו כת ר וצרפ ן ז ה בז ח וצ ר בה ם ארי ה בעול ם 

It * t 1 ••  ••  — I Tt• • •ך . . . ־ ד זי. . — .. . • T 


T ; •*  : ־ V T T : VT  V I T ; T : V V “ I T: 

:וא ב בשנ ה וכולי א שמאלי ת בנפ; 2 זכ ר ונקבה 

T )•״  : TT  VV;  • T ; T;  : TT  : T.״ 

משכה י . 


־ בב א נ ׳ מ ן השניה . המלי ך או ת י ' במעש ה וק^ ר 
לו כת ר וצרפ ן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם בתול ה בעול ם 

T : T : V T T : VT  V I T 17  : 

ואלול בשנ ה וי ד שמא ל בנפ ש זכ ר ונקבה : 

t)•*:  TT  VV:  : TT  ; v:v 

משכה י״ א . 


בבא א ׳ מ ן השלילית . ה?זלי ך או ת ל׳בת^מי^ ם 
וקשר ל ו כת ר וצרפ ן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם מאזני ם 

:It־  V T T:  VT  V It  :t  : VV 

בעולם ותשר י בשנ ה ומר ה בנפ ש זכ ר ונקבה : 

: T ״ . *  t|••;  TT  VV  : TT  TT  : *I 

משכה י״ ב . 

בבא ב ׳ מ ן השלישית . המלי ך או ת נ ׳ ברי ח וקש ר 
לו כת ר וצרפ ן ז ח בז ה וצ ר בה ם עקר ב בעול ם 

T : t1:  - %•  T T : VT  V I T ;T: 


ומךחשון בשנ ה ודקי ן בנפ ש;כ ר ונקבה : 


SEPHER  YEZIRAH. 


37 


Section  8. 

Second  Part, 

First  Division.  He  let  the  letter  ח predominate 
in  seeing,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the  other, 
and  formed  by  them : Cancer  (the  Crab)  in  the  world, 
the  month  Tamus  in  the  year,  and  the  right  hand  of 
the  human  body,  male  and  female. 

Section  9. 

Second  Division.  He  let  the  letter  ט predominate 
in  hearing,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the  other, 
and  formed  by  them : Leo  (the  Lion)  in  the  world, 
the  month  Ab  in  the  year,  and  the  left  kidney  of  the 
human  body,  male  and  female. 

Section  10. 

Third  Division.  He  let  the  letter י י  predominate 
in  working,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the  other, 
and  formed  by  them : Virgo  (the  Virgin)  in  the  world, 
the  month  Elul  in  the  year,  and  the  left  hand  of  the 
human  body,  male  and  female. 

Section  11. 

Third  Part. 

First  Division.  He  let  the  letter  ל predominate 
in  coition,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the  other, 
and  formed  by  them : Libra  (the  Balance)  in  the 
world,  the  month  Tishri  in  the  year,  and  the  gall  of 
the  human  body,  male  and  female. 

Section  12. 

Second  Division.  He  let  the  letter  נ predominate 
in  smelling,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the  other, 
and  formed  by  them : Scorpio  (the  Scorpion)  in  the 
world,  the  month  Marcheshvan  in  the  year,  and  the 
small  intestines  of  the  human  body,  male  and  female. 


38 


ספר יצירה • 


מ ע ו כ ה י״ ג . 

בבן<? ג ׳ מ ן השלישית . המלי ך או ת ס ' בישנ ה 
וקשר ל ו כת ר וצרפ ן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם קש ת בעול ם 

:It ־  T : V )V  V T T ; VT  V It  :7:  VV 

וכסלו בשנ ה וקיב ה בנפ ש זכ ר ונקבה : 

tI  : T T V V ; T )••:  T T : : 

מ ט ו כ ה י״ד . 

בבא א ׳ מ ן הרביעירת . המלי ך אור ת ע ׳ ברוג ז 
וקשר ל ו כת ר וצרפ ן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם גד י בעול ם 

:t | ־ T : • : V T T : *.•T  V It  :7  : V V 

טבת בשנ ה וכב ד בנפ ש זכ ר ונקבה : 

** * ״ : T T V V : ••  T : T T ; - ן T 

מ ע ו כ ה ט״ר . 

בבא ב י מ ן הרביעית . המלי ך או ת צ ׳ בלעיט ה 
וקשר ל ו כת ר וצרפ ן ז ה בז ה וצ ר בה ם דל י בעול ם 

;7( “  V T T : VT  V It  :7  : VV ; ״ : T 

ושבט בשנ ה(וקורקבן ) וגתר ת בנפ ש זכ ר ונקבה : 
בל ש ה ה ט״ז . 

בבא ג ׳ מ ן הרביעירה . המלי ך אור ה p בשחו ק 
וקשר ל ו כת ר וצרפ ן ז ח בז ה וצ ר בה ם דגי ם בעול ם 

:7 ( ־ 7 : V V ־ . 7 : • 7 V 7 7 : '.•7  V 1 T 

ואדר בשנ ה וטחו ל בנפ ש זכ ר ונקב ה עשא ן כמי ן 

־:־7 :  77 ; : I • : 17  ; 7 7)••;,  77  VV 

עריבה* סידר ן כמי ן חומ ה עףכ ן קמי ן מלחמה : 


*) נ״ א מריב ה מדינה : 


SEPHER  YEZIRAH. 


39 


Section  13. 

Third  Division.  He  let  the  letter  ם predominate 
in  sleep,  cro^raed  it,  combined  one  with  the  other, 
and  formed  by  them : Sagittarius  (the  Archer)  in  the 
world,  the  month  Kislev  in  the  year,  and  the  stomach 
of  the  human  body,  male  and  female. 

Section  14. 


Fourth  Part, 


First  Division.  He  let  the  letter  ע predominate 
in  anger,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the  other, 
and  formed  by  them : Capricornus  (the  Goat)  in  the 
world,  the  month  Teves  in  the  year,  and  the  hver  in 
the  human  body,  male  and  female. 

Section  15. 


Second  Division.  He  let  the  letter  •צ  predominate 
in  swallowing,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the 
other,  and  formed  by  them:  Aquarius  (the  Water- 
man)  in  the  world,  the  month  Schwat  in  the  year, 
and  the  esophagus  of  the  human  body,  male  and 
female. 


Section  16. 


Third  Division.  He  let  the  letter  ק predominate 
in  laughing,  crowned  it,  combined  one  with  the  other, 
and  formed  by  them : Pisces  (the  Fishes)  in  the  world, 
the  month  Adar  in  the  year,  and  the  milt  of  the 
human  body,  male  and  female. 

He  made  them  as  a conflict,  drew  them  up  like  a 
wall ; and  set  one  against  the  other  as  in  warfare. 


40 


ספר יצירה . 


פרק ששי . 

בל ש כ ה א . 

אלו ה ם של ש אמו ת א״מ״ ש ויצא ו מה ם שלש ה 

.. . . . ן • : T;  V V ; ״ ״ T : V 

אבות וה ם אוי ר ומי ם וא ש ומאבו ת תולדו ת שלש ה 

.ן ..... . - ... . • • T : : T 

אבות: ותולדותיה ם ושבע ה בוכבי ם וצבאותיה ם 

V ••  : • : • T T : • ; V : T 

ושנים עש ר גבול י אלכסון : 

בל ש כ ה ב . 

ראיה לדב ר עריכ ם נאמני ם בעולכ ם שנ ה נפ ש 

־ T ־־ T T ״ ״ *  V V T T T T • T V.V 

ושנים עש ר ח ק ושבע ה ושלש ח ופקד ן כתל י 
וגלגל ולב : 

; . t ב ל ש ה ה ג . 

שלש אמו ת א״מ״ ש אוי ר א ש ומי ם א ש למעל ה 

J . -. . . . «.. . : ־: ־ T 

ומים למט ה ואוי ר רו ח ח ק מכרי ע בנתי ם וסימ ן 
לדבר הא ש נוש א א ת המי ם מ ׳ דוממ ת ש ' שורק ת 

Iv  V V V V ••  ••  T T T: 

א׳ אוי ר רו ח ח ק מכרי ע בנתןם : 
בל ש כ ה ד . 

תלי בעול ם כמל ף _ע ל כסא ו גלג ל קשנ ה כמל ף 
במדינה* ל ב בנפ ש כמלו ד במלחמה : 

• : • I v V : V V : ••  t : • :ד ד 


*) נ״ א ע ל חומה : 


SEPHER  YEZIBAH. 


41 


CHAPTEK  YI. 

Section  1. 

These  are  the  three  mothers  or  the  first  elements, 
א״נל׳׳ש  from  which  emanated  three  progenitors ; prim- 
itive  air,  water  and  fire,  and  from  which  emanated 
as  their  offspring,  three  progenitors  and  their  off- 
spring,  namely : the  seven  planets  and  their  hosts, 
and  the  twelve  obhque  points. 

Section  2. 

To  confirm  this  there  are  faithful  witnesses ; the 
world,  year  and  man,  the  twelve,  the  Equipoise,  the 
heptade,  which  God  regulates  like  the  Dragon,^ 
(Tah)  sphere  and  the  heart. 

Section  3. 

The  first  elements א״מ״ ש  are  air,  water  and  fire ; 
the  fire  is  above,  the  water  below,  and  a breath  of  air 
establishes  the  balance  among  them.  For  an  Ulus- 
tration  may  serve,  that  the  fire  carries  the  water  is 
the  phonetic  character  of  מ which  is  mute  and  ש is 
hissing  like  fire,  there  is  א among  them,  a breath  of 
air  which  places  them  in  eqilibrium.*^ 

Section  4. 

Dragon  (Tali)  is  in  the  world  like  a king  upon  his 
throne,  the  sphere  is  in  the  year  like  a king  in  the 
empire,  and  the  heart  is  in  the  human  body  like  a 
king^*  in  war. 


42 


ספר י צ י ר ה . 


נל ט ו כ ה ה . 

גם א ת ז ה לעמ ת ז ה עש ה אלהי ם טו ב  mvb 
רע ר ע לעמר־ ז טו ב טו ב מטו ב ה ע מר ע הטו ב 

T T :.• * ־ • T-  T - 

מבחין אר ז הר ע והר ע מבחי ן א ה הטו ב טוב ה 
שמורח לטובי ם ורע ח ע!מור ח לרעים : 

: T ־ • ; TT  T : T T • 

בל ש כ ה ר . 

עללטה כ ל אח ד לבד ו עומ ד אח ד מזכ ה ואח ד 


קןחייב [אח ד מכרי_ ע בנתים : 


בל ש כ ה ז . 

שבעה שללט ה מו ל שלעז ח ואח ד מכרי ע בנתי ם 

• : tv;  T ; T : T -:־־•:- * 

ושנים עש ר עומדי ן במלחמה : שלש ה אוהבי ם 
שלשה שונאי ם שלש ה מחיי ם ושלש ה ממיתים : 

: T ; • : T ; ־ ״ ; T : ' • 

בל ש כ ה ח . 

שלשה אוהבי ם  2hn והאזני ם שלש ה שונאי ם 

; • T T : • “ ; T T ; ; • 

הכבד המר ה ןהלשו ן שלש ח מחיי ם שנ י נקב י הא ף 
והטחול ושלש ה ממיתי ם שנ י הנקבי ם והפ ה וא ל 
מלןר נאמ ן מוש ל ?כל ם מ^עו ן קךש ו ע ד עד י ע ד 
אחד ע ל גב י שלש ה שלש ה ע ל גב י שבע ה שבע ה 

TV ־ — • ; “ T : T T . . T : * 

על גב י שני ם עש ר וכל ם אדוקי ם ז ה בזה : 

- -״ • : ־ • VT  V )•  T *•,;  T T 


SEPHER  YEZIBAH. 


43 


Section  5. 

God  has  also  set  the  one  over  against  the  other ; 
the  good  against  the  evil,  and  the  evil  against  the 
good ; the  good  proceeds  from  the  good,  and  the  evil 
from  the  evil ; the  good  purifies  the  bad,  and  the  bad 
the  good ; the  good  is  preserved  for  the  good,  and 
the  evil  for  the  bad  ones. 

Section  6. 

There  are  three  of  which  every  one  of  them  stands 
by  itself;  one  is  in  the  affirmative,  the  other  in  th© 
negative  and  one  equalizes  them. 

Section  7. 

There  are  seven  of  which  three  are  against  three, 
and  one  places  them  in  equilibrium.  There  are  twelve 
which  are  all  the  time  at  war ; three  of  them  produce 
love,  and  three  hatred,  three  are  animators  and  three 
destroyers. 

Section  8. 

The  three  that  produce  love  are  the  heart  and  the 
ears ; the  three  that  produce  hatred  are  the  liver,  the 
gall  and  the  tongue ; the  three  animators  are  the  two 
nostrils  and  the  milt ; and  the  three  destroyers  are 
the  mouth  and  the  two  openings  of  the  body ; and 
God,  the  faithful  King,  rules  over  all  from  His  holy 
habitation  to  aU  eternity.  He  is  one  above  three, 
three  are  above  seven,  seven  above  twelve,  and  all 
are  linked  together. 


44 


ספר ’צירה . 


משכה טי . 

ן?ו ה ם עשרי ם ושתי ם אותיו ת שבה ן חק ק אהי ה 
יה יהו ה צבאו ת א ל שר י יהו ה אלהי ם ועש ה מה ם 

T : T ; T ״ ״ : V ••  T T:  • V;  T 

שלשה ספרי ם ובר א מה ם א ת כ ל עולמ ו וצ ר בה ם 

; T : T ׳  V T T ; T T V V ••  TT 

את כ ל היצו ר וא ת כ ל העתי ד לצור : 

T ־ : : ״. ״ T •TV  T 

משכה י . 

וכשהבין אברה ם אבינ ו והבי ט ורא ה וחק ק וחצ ב 
ועלתה ביד ו נגל ה עלי ו אדו ן הכ ל וקרא ו אוהב י 

:It : - I T T T ; • T ; T ; T ; ;־ • * 

וכרת ל ו ברי ת בי ן עש ר אצבעו ת;די ו והו א ברי ת 
הלשון ובי ן עש ר אצבעו ת תלי ו והו א ברי ת המיל ה 
וקרא עלי ו בטר ם אצך ף בבט ן ידעתיף. * 

*) נ״ א וק^} ר עשרי ט ושתי ם אותיו ת בלשונ ו וג^ ה <5 ו א ת יסו ח 

;T ־ V ; • ; ־ • • • ; ; • T ; V T י 

מ׳שכן במי ם דלה ן כא ש רעש ן ברו ח בער ן ביעבע ה נהג ן ב׳יזתי ם ע׳^ר ה 

't;t  t  ••t :־t ' : ־t;־TV:V  t:•;  't ׳ . . . . . . .. . 

מזלות: 

T- 

סליק פרק א . וסלי ק ספ ר יציר ה : 


SEPHER  YEZIKAH. 


45 


Section  9. 

There^^  are  twenty-two  letters  by  which  the  I am, 
Tah,  the  Lord  of  hosts,  Almighty  and  Eternal,  de- 
signed,  formed  and  created  by  three  Sepharim,  His 
whole  world,  and  formed  by  them  creatures  and  all 
those  that  will  be  formed  in  time  to  come. 

Section  10. 

When^  the  patriarch  Abraham  comprehended  the 
gi’eat  truism,  revolved  it  in  his  mind,  conceived  it 
perfectly,  made  careful  investigations  and  profound 
inquiries,  pondered  upon  it  and  succeeded  in  contem- 
plations,  the  Lord  of  the  Universe  appeared  to  him, 
called  him  his  friend,  made  with  him  a covenant 
between  the  ten  fingers  of  his  hands,  which  is  the 
covenant  of  the  tongue,^®  and  the  covenant  between 
the  ten  toes  of  his  feet,  which  is  the  covenant  of  cir- 
cumcision,  and  said  of  him : “Before  I formed  thee 
in  the  belly  I knew  thee.”  (Jer.  I,  5.) 


NOTES 


1)  Our  author  maintains  that  there  is  a first  intelligent,  self-existing, 
almighty,  eternal  ruling  cause  of  all  things,  and  that  an  everlasting  entity 
produced  nonentities  by  a progression  of  effects.  The  divine  knowledge,  he 
adds,  differs  from  the  human  knowledge  in  such  a degree,  that  it  gives  ex- 
istence  to  all  that  is. יל ♦ ד ^ צבאו ת  ppH  is  a talmudical  expression.  (See 
Treatise  Bava  Bathra  p.  73.)  It  seems  to  me,  that  the  author  not  only 
wanted  to  contradict  Plato’s  assertion  that  the  Supreme  Being  had  need  of  a 
plan,  like  the  human  architect,  to  conduct  the  great  design,  when  he  made 
the  fabric  of  the  Universe,  but  also  the  common  belief  that  God  reasons 
and  acts  by  ideas  like  a human  being.  As  the  prophet  Isaiah  exclaimed : 
“Behold  ! God  has  no  ideas  like  you,  and  his  ways  of  acting  are  not  like 
yours.”  (Isaiah  55,  8 — 9.) 

2)  The  number  thirty-two  is  not  only  the  fifth  power  of  tw'o,  and  the 
sum  of  ten  units  and  twenty-two  letters,  but  is  also  the  sum  of  the  first  and 
last  letter  of  the  Hebrew  Pentateuch,  namely:  2 ב and  30 ל,  equal  thirty- 
two.  (See  Kusari  p.  343,  translated  into  German  by  Dr.  David  Cassel.) 

3)  Paths  denote  powers,  effects,  kinds,  forms,  degrees  or  stages. 

4)  These  Sepharim  or  three  words  of  similar  expression  signify  : first, 
number,  calculation  or  idea  j second,  the  word  j third,  the  writing  of  the 
word.  The  idea,  word  and  writing  (of  the  word),  are  signs  to  man  for  a 
thing,  and  is  not  the  thing  itself,  to  the  Creator,  however,  idea,  word  and 
writing  (of  the  word)  are  the  thing  itself,  or  as  some  ancient  Rabbis  re- 

marked : “׳n״3״pra מחטב ה דבר ר ומעטר . הכ ל חר א דכ ל אח ד  idea, 

word  and  work  are  one  and  the  same  to  God.”  There  is  an  ideal  world  in 
the  divine  intellect,  according  to  which  this  sensible  world  was  made.  The 
difference  between  the  human  and  divine  manner  of  thinking  admits  no 
comparison. 

5)  This  means  to  say,  that  there  has  not  been  any  matter  or  hyle  ex- 
isting  from  all  eternity,  containing  different  kinds  of  primitive  atoms  or 
molecules  etc.,  as  the  Greek  philosopher,  Anaxagoras,  taught,  but  that  all 
things  are  the  gradual  emanations  of  one  everlasting  being.  /This  idea  is 
then  symbolically  explained  in  the  next  paragraph. 

6)  The  design  of  the  author  is  evidently  to  deduce  the  proof  of  the  de- 
cade  from  the  phenomena  in  the  nature  of  man,  who  is  generally  considered 
the  crown  or  the  final  cause  of  the  terrestial  creation,  and  upon  whom  God 

vouchsafed  two  most  precious  gifts,  namely : the  articulated  word,  and  the 

47 


48 


NOTES. 


religious  element  (spiritual  purity).  This  passage  is  explained  by  Isaac 
Satanow  in  his  Hebrew  Dictionary  entitled  Sephath  Emeth,  p.  44,  b ; 

והלה הלטו ן הו א ע ט סופ ר לתולדו ת הטבלי ם ואב ר המולי ד 
יים א ת האד םpלתולדו ת החמריי ם וכ ל אח ד הו א ברי ת עול ם ל 
לפליטה נצחי ת ע ל טת י צלעותי ו המר ו וצורת ו הא י כדאיתי ה 
The  tongue  is,  as  it  were,  the  .והא י כדאיתי ה ז ה בחמר ו וז ה בצורתו 

descriptive  pen  of  all  the  spiritual  issues,  and  the  genital  parts  are  the  or- 
iginators  of  the  corporeal  substances.  Every  one  of  them  is  an  eternal 
covenant  in  order  to  preserve  the  human  race  for  ever,  according  to  its  two- 
fold  being ; body  and  spirit.  Each  working  after  its  own  way,  physically 
and  spiritually. 

7)  Like  Pythagoras,  who  taught  that  the  digits  inclusive  number  ten 
which  are  typified  in  Tetraktys,  [TErpaKTV<s)  namely:  1 plus  2 plus  3 
plus  4 equal  lo,  and  which  comprise  the  whole  arithmetical  system  of 
nature,  etc.  Our  author  endeavors  to  show  the  gradual  emanation  of  all 
things  from  God,  which  were  completely  finished  in  ten  spheres. 

8)  My  Hebrew  reading  is  !והוט ב יוצ ר ע ל מכונ ו  There  are  various 
readings  j therefore  Postellus  rendered  it ; “restitue  figmentum  in  locum 
suum Rittangel,  “restitue  formatorem  in  throno  suo  j”  Pistorius,  “fac 
sedere  creatorem  in  throno  suo.”  The  author  seems  to  ridicule  here  the 
Gnosticians  who  maintained  that  Demiurg  was  the  creator  of  man  and  the 
sensual  world. 

9)  In  God  is  the  beginning  and  he  is  the  boundary  of  the  Universe. 
Compare  also  the  Talmud  treatise  Chagigah  p.  12. 

10)  Here  is  contradicted  the  system  of  ditheism,  consisting  of  an  eternal 
God,  the  Author  of  all  good  and  of  “Hyle”  or  “Satan,”  the  co-eternal  and 
co-equal  principle  of  evil,  maintaining  that  an  all-perfect  God  alone  is  the 
author  of  all  good  and  evil,  and  has  in  his  infinite  wisdom  so  wonderfully 
contrived  the  nature  of  things,  that  physical  and  moral  evil  may  produce 
good,  and  hence  contribute  to  carry  out  the  great  design  of  the  Supreme 
Being.  Compare  also  Chap.  6 §5. 

11)  As  the  infinite  series  of  numbers  starts  from  one  unit,  so  was  the 
whole  Universe  formed  a unity,  that  centres  in  the  Godhead. 

12)  The  meaning  is,  that  as  the  living  creatures  which  the  prophet  saw 
in  his  vision  were  stricken  with  such  an  awe,  that  they  could  not  go  any 
further  to  see  the  divine  glory,  and  had  to  return,  so  is  the  decade  an  eter- 
nal  secret  to  us  and  we  are  not  permitted  to  understand  it.  We  find  this 
very  idea  in  the  Pythagorean  system.  The  disciples  of  Pythagoras  looked 
upon  the  decade  as  a holy  number,  and  swore  by  it  and  by  the  Tetraktys 
which  contain  the  number  ten. 

13)  See  above  Note  i,  God,  idea  and  word  are  indivisible. 


NOTES. 


49 


14)  I adopted  hei'e  the  reading  of  Judah  Halevi,  namely  :  רחצ ב בה ך  ppH 

,בה ר רפ ש רטי* ט רגר  with  the  exception  of  the  word תה ר  > because  it  is 
obvious  from  “Yezirah,”  Chap.  II,  that  the  author  signifies  by  the  word 
“Tohu,”  nothing,  and  not  something,  as  Judah  Halevi  erroneously  thought. 
Moses  Butarel  and  others  tell  us  that  they  had  before  them  a correct  copy 
of“SepherYezirah,”  where  it  reads: תה ר ז ה ל^ ר ירר ^ וכר ' בה י אנ ל אבלי ם 
מפרלבלות!  The  same  passage  is  mentioned  in  the  Talmud  treatise  Chagi- 
gah,  p.  12,  a,  with  the  addition  of המשרלער ת בתהו ם שמה ן ירצאי ן 
מים«  The  word המפרללר ת  is  translated  by  Rashi,  moht.  Some  say  it  is 
a compound  word  of מפו ל מר ת  > others  of  /פלרל י אלמרלי  etc.  But  the 
word  is  not  of  Semitic  origin  ; it  is,  according  to  my  opinion,  borrowed  from 
the  Greek  as  the  word סימן ׳  etc.,  flood, אבלי ם מפלמר ת  flood- 

stones.  The  same  word  is  used  treatise  Beza,  p.  24,  b,  ♦דגי ם המפרלמין 
fish  that  are  caught  from  out  of  the  flood. 

15)  According  to  the  author,  the  space  and  six  dimensions  emanated 
from  the  ether, 

16)  Judah  Halevi  in  his  book  entitled  “Kusari,’*  p.  356,  illustrates  it 
thus : The  Creator  is  one,  and  the  space  has  in  the  figurative  expression 
six  dimensions.  The  book  “Yezirah,”  having  ascribed  to  the  Creator  some 
names  in  the  spiritual  language,  chooses  now  in  the  human  language  the 
finest  sounds  which  are,  as  it  were,  the  spirits  of  the  other  sounds,  namely: 

הרי  and  says,  that  when  the  divine  will  was  expressed  by  such  a sublime 
name,  it  became  that  which  the  Exalted  by  praise  wished  to  call  forth  ac- 
cording  to  the  combination  of  “,הרד”  Hence  it  follows,  that  the  material 
world  was  created  in  such  a way  and  manner  which  corresponds  with  the 
material,  namely,  by  the  sublime  spiritual  name,  which  corresponds  with 
the  material  name, יהל ׳ ילה ׳ הלי ׳ היל ׳ ליה ׳ רהי ׳  and  out  of  each  of  them 
became  one  dimension  of  the  world,  the  sphere. 

17)  The  author  shows  here  by  the  symbol  of  a scale  and  the  phonetic 
character  of  the  fundamental  letters א^^מ^^ש ׳  that  the  opposite  forces  and 
the  struggle  which  prevail  in  the  smallest  as  well  as  in  the  largest  circles  of 
creation  are  appeased  and  calmed. 

18)  Meaning  outlets,  outgates  of  the  creative  power,  formations. 

19)  The  word על ג  signifies  joy,  and  when  transposed,  forming  the  word 
לגע  it  signifies  just  the  contrary,  trouble,  plague.  He  means  to  say,  that 
the  letters  of  the  words על ל  and לג ע  are  the  same,  but  they  signify  never- 
theless,  opposite  ideas  on  account  of  transposition.  Just  as  the  sphere  re- 
mains  the  same  during  the  rotation  on  its  axis  in  its  setting  and  in  its  rising; 
yet  it  appears  to  us  as  if  it  had  undergone  a great  change  on  account  of  its 
different  position. 


50 


NOTES. 


צרפך עזנןל ך רהמיך ן ן  20)  My  reading  is 


21)  The  combination  of  the  twenty-two  letters  without  permutation  is 
represented  in  the  following  table : 


n 

קח 

רת 

n 

in 

עת 

פת 

n 

o 

1_» 

ב! 

D 

ב: n 

LJ '־J \ 

כ• 

G 

1 o ב D D ם ב ! נ ב 
11  -i  u ׳ - ״ ־ n 

H 

% 

קש 

רש 

in 

\D  Vi 

a 

נש 

D 

\X״U 

G 

3ss33sg 

% 

סי־ 

in 

-9  _i 

ט Vi 

_/ 

a 

_/ 

L-» 

D 

_/  o 

Njr*u 

-j 

_/ 

G 

ב -!  =!  fi  d d d 

% 

^ ID  \n 

—j 

a 

־O 

ס- 

ס 

^־O 

\jru 

־o 

ס- 

וב 

־י } 3ס ־ צ י^ -vj 
11  ^ — J -J  J-r  IX 

-o 

% 

m ui 
ID  Vi 

in 

a 

\n 

in 

D 

in  in 

NX*  u 

li 

ui 

G 

in  ill  ^ in  ^ 

כ r;  !5  li  -I  iX  u 

ui 

% 

Vi 

o 

a 

lIJ 

D 

irr 

NX'  u 

מ 

iD 

G 

מ  in ט צ מ מ 

U ב ! 1 - J - צ n 

in 

% 

Vi 

o 

Vi 

Vi  Vi  Vi 
D N-no 

Vi 

ViVi  ^Vivi  ViVl 

a 

u» 

a 

O 

o a 

NX*  U 

D 

a 

G 

3253323 

a 

% 

o 

*— » 

NX*  U 

l_r 

l_* 

G 

כ h: ג ל  ^ J b U 

u״ 

% 

O O 
NX*U 

q 

o 

G 

5 ס a 2 2 2 מ 

11  י — ׳ _J ״ נ,  Uf 

O 

% 

NX• 

u 

NX 

c כ XXu  _1  iTu  z 

u 

U 

G 

3523323 

IX 

% 

G 

n _i  IJ  J נ::  IX 

% 

3523323 

G 

% 

323323 

H 

% 

u ש ב פ 

% 

3 If  ש U 

% 

11 ו ב U 

U ש ו _ 

11 

% 

_f  — 1 

d u 

z 

*_ג 

U 

% 

22)  The  number  of  combinations  of  twenty-two  letters  two  and  two 
without  any  permutation  is  according  to  the  mathematical  formula 

n — I 22 

n* =22 — I X =21ל. 

2 2 

23)  The  ancient  philosophers  maintained  that  if  God  is  the  first  cause, 
and  He  is  necessarily,  He,  the  immediate  effect  of  Him,  as  an  absolute  unity. 


NOTES. 


51 


can  only  be  again  a unity.  Hence  from  a being  that  is  in  every  respect  a 
unique  being,  there  can  only  emanate  one  being  j because  would  two  essen- 
tially  and  truly  different  things  issue  conjointly  from  one  being,  they  can 
only  proceed  from  two  different  things  of  substance,  that  would  consequently 
admit  a division  that  is  inconceivable.  They  then  put  the  question,  how 
came  so  many  various  beings  into  existence  ? Our  author  is  therefore  en- 
deavoring  to  show  that  the  whole  universe  emanated  gradually  from  the 
spirit  of  the  one  living  God. 

24)  The  reading  of  Von  Jo.  Meyer  and  others  is  as  follows :  יצ ל מתרה ר 

ממט ועט ה אינ ו יטנ ו והצ ב עמודי ם נדדלי ם מאוי ר טאינ ר נתפ ס 
וזה סימ ן צופ ה ומימ ר עוט ה כ ל היצו ר וא ה כ ל הדברי ם בט ם אח ד 
וסימן לדב ר עטרי ם וטתי ם מניינ ם וגו! ש אחד :  My  reading  according 
to  a manuscript  of  Rabbi  Isaac  Luria,  which  I have  preferred  to  all  others, 

isthus: יצ ר ממ ט מתוה ו ועט ה א ת אינ ו יטנ ו וחצ ב עמודי ם גדולי ם 
מאויר טאינ ו נתפ ס וז ה סימ ן או ת א ע ם כול ן וכול ן ע ם א צופ ה 
ומימר ועט ה א ת כ ל היצו ר וא ת כ ל הדבו ר ט ם אח ד וסימ ן לדב ר 

עטרים וטתי ם חפצי ם בנון ש א : 

25)  It  has  been  already  mentioned  above  Chap,  i,  §1,  that  God,  his  idea 
and  his  word  are  a unity  5 hence  the  author  signifies  by  the  letter  Aleph 
the  air  from  which  emanated  the  creative  speech,  etc, 

26)  Here  is  meant : ethereal  air,  ethereal  water,  ethereal  fire,  the  macro- 
cosm,  the  courses  of  time  and  microcosm.  Many  offspring  or  derivations 
came  from  the  latter  three,  as  their  progenitors,  as  it  is  explained  after- 
wards  in  the  chapter. 

27)  The  author  endeavors  to  show  how  the  creative  divine  word  became 
more  condensed  and  how  a new  series  of  productions  came  out  of  three 
elements. 

28)  In  ancient  times  coldness  was  considered  to  oe  a substance.  [See 
Psalm  147,  17.] 

29)  Id  est,  made  it  the  reigning  power. 

30)  Namely,  with  the  two  other  elements. 

3 !ן  That  is  to  say  a different  combination  of  the  elements. 

32)  According  to  the  opinion  of  the  author,  it  may  be  arranged  as  follows: 

Aleph,  Mem.  Sheen. 

World:  Air,  Earth,  Heaven  or  Atmosphere, 

(Inclusive  of  Land  and  Sea.) 

Man : Breast,  Belly,  Head. 

Year:  Moistness,  Coldness,  Heat. 

33)  The  aspirating  pronunciation  of  p in  the  Greek,  was  adopted  by  the 
ancient  Jews  in  Palestine  for  the  Hebrew  letter  ל*  They  pronounced  it 
partly  aspirated  and  partly  unaspirated.  [See  Dr.  Geiger’s  Lehr-und  Lese- 
buch  der  Mischnah,  p.  22,  and  Dr.  Graetz’s  Gnosticismus,  p.  117.J 


52 


NOTES. 


34)  According  to  the  idea  of  our  author,  there  emanated  from  the  unity 
of  God  three  ethereal  elements:  primitive  air  from  the  spirit,  from  the  air, 
primitive  water,  and  from  the  water,  primitive  fire  or  ether,  out  of  which 
came  other  spheres  of  existence  in  the  significant  and  highly  important 
number,  seven,  from  which  descended  smaller  spheres  and  which  produced 
again  others.  He  endeavors  to  show  how  the  ideal  became,  after  numerous 
emanations,  more  condensed,  palpable  and  concrete.  The  whole  creation  is 
thus  contemplated  as  a pyramid,  terminating  in  a point  at  the  top  with  a 
broad  basis.  [See  Dr.  Graetz’s  Gnosticismus,  p.  224.] 

35)  Compare  Chapter  I,  Section  3,  Note,  8. 

36)  The  order  of  the  planets  (including  the  Sun)  is  stated  here  according 
to  the  Ptolemaic  system  which  was  in  vogue  even  among  the  learned  men 
till  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century,  namely:  Moon,  Mercury,  Vem^ 
Sun,  Mars,  Jupiter  and  Saturn.  But  this  arrangement  is  undoubtedly  an 
interpolation  of  a later  time,  as  the  author  of  the  book.  “Yezirah”  lived 
many  years  before  Ptolemy.  And  indeed  Prof.  Jo.  Friedrich  Von  Meyer \ 
and  others  of  reliable  authority  had  in  their  copies  of  “Yezirah”  the  follow- 
ing  order:  .מאדיה  pחמ ה כרכ ה כרכ ב לככד ז טבת י צד  Mars,  jupiter, 
Saturn,  Moon,  Mercury,  Venus,  Sun. 

37)  Philo  (Allegor  i,  42,)  after  having  called  attention  to  the  fact  that 
the  heptade  is  to  be  found  in  many  biblical  laws,  in  the  vowels  of  the  Greek 
language,  in  the  gamut  and  in  the  organs  of  the  human  body,  exclaims, 
similar  to  our  author  : “The  whole  nature  exults  in  the  heptade  !’* 

38)  The  rule  for  permutation  is  as  follows : (n — i) . n . 1 x 2 x 3 x4x  5 x 6 
X 7=5040.  In  our  edition  it  reads  :  חבלנצ ה אלפי ם וארב ע בכים ״  Five 
thousand  and  four  houses,  which  is  obviously  a mistake,  it  should  read : 

5040  houses. חמש ת אלפי ם וארבעי ם בתים ״ 

39)  I read כרכר ה  instead  of קןררכ^רב ך  for  two  reasons.  In  the  first 
place,  the  same  thing  is  mentioned  afterwards,  and  in  the  second  place,  it  is 
proved  by  the  expression לעיט ה  that  the  author  meant כרכר ה  and  not 

.רבךpררp 

40)  Some  maintain  that  by  the  expression  Tali  is  understood  the  con- 
stellation  Draco  or  Dragon,  which  is  a very  large  constellation  extending 
for  a great  length  from  East  to  West;  beginning  at  the  tail  which  lies  half 
way  between  the  Pointers  and  the  Pole  Star,  and  winding  round  between 
the  Great  and  Little  Bear  by  a continued  succession  of  bright  stars  from  5 
to  10  degrees  asunder,  it  coils  round  under  the  feet  of  the  Little  Bear,  sweeps 
round  the  pole  of  the  ecliptic,  and  terminates  in  a trapezium  formed  by  four 
conspicuous  stars  from  30  to  3 5 degrees  from  North  Pole.  Dr.  Steinshneider 
(see  Magazin  fuer  Literatur  des  Auslandes,  1845)  and  Dr.  Cassel  (in  his 
commentary  to  the  book  entitled  Kusari,)  maintain  that  the  ancient  Jewish 


NOTES. 


53 


astronomers  signified  by  the  word  Tali,  not  the  constellation  Draco,  but 
the  line  which  joins  together  the  two  points  in  which  the  orbit  of  the  moon 
intercepts  the  ecliptic  (Dragon’s  head  and  tail).  Dr.  Cassel  is  of  the  opinion 
that  our  author  meant  here,  probably  the  invisible,  celestial  or  universal 
axis  that  carries  the  whole  Universe. 

41)  Our  author  means  to  say  that  the  water  has  a great  disposition  to 
unite  itself  with  the  caloric,  thus  for  instance  is  the  fire  latent  in  steam, 
but  the  air  equipoises  them. 

42)  The  meaning  is,  as  God  is  the  centre  of  the  Universe,  so  have  the 
macrocosm,  the  seasons  and  temperature  and  the  microcosm,  their  centres 
receiving  power  from  the  principal  centre  to  regulate  and  rule. 

43)  The  substance  of  this  Mishnah  is  mentioned  in  the  Talmud  treatise 
Berachoth,  p.  55,  a.  It  reads  there: אמ ל ל ב יהוד ה אמ ל ל ב ייד ע הי ה 
בצלאל לצרן ש אותיו ת טזנברא ר בה ן פומי ם וארץ !  “Rab  jehudah  stated 

in  the  name  of  Rab,  that  Bezalel  understood  to  combine  letters  by  which 
heaven  and  earth  were  created.”  To  this  the  commentator  Rashi  adds: 
‘‘as  it  is  taught  in  the  book  Yezirah.”  It  is  undoubtedly  certain  that  the 
book  Yezirah,  or  a cosmogony  as  it  is  represented  there,  was  known  to  Rab, 
who  was  a disciple  of  Jehudah  Hanasi,  during  the  second  part  of  the  second 
century.  (C.  E.)  See  treatise  Berachoth,  p.  55  a,  where  the  commentator 
Rashi  referred  to  the  book  Yezirah. 

4p)  This  whole  paragraph  is  an  interpolation  of  an  unknown  hand,  as  it 
can  be  easily  proved. 

45)  I have  translated  according  to  the  reading  of  Rabbi  Judah  Halevi. 
The  reading  of  Rabbi  Luria  is  as  follows: ען ל עשלי ם ונצתי ם ארהיי הpר 
בלטונו וגיל ה ל ו א ת סוד ו מטכ ן במי ם דל ^ בא ט רעבו ן ברו ה בער ך 
“He  fastened  twenty-two  letters  on בטבע ה נהגי ן בטני ם צט ל מדלו ת ׳ 

his  tongue  and  revealed  to  him  His  mystery.  He  drew  them  by  water,  kin- 
died  them  by  fire  and  thundered  them  by  the  wind.  He  lighted  them  by 
seven,  and  rules  them  by  twelve  constellations.”  Pistor.  renders  it : “Tranat 
per  aquam,  accendit  in  igne  grandine  signavit  in  aere.  Disposuit  cum  sep- 
tern  et  gubernavit  cum  duodecim.”  Postellus*  version  is  : “Attraxit  eum 
in  aqua,  accendit  in  spiritu,  inflammavit  in  septem  aptatum  cum  duodecim 
signis.”  Meyer  translates  it:  “Er  zog  sie  mit  Wasser,  zundet  sie  an  mit 
Feuer,  erregte  sie  mit  Geist,  vebrannte  sie  mit  sieben,  goss  sie  aus  mit  den 
zwoelf  Gestirnen.” 


GLOSSAEY 


OF 


RABBINICAL  WORDS. 


א 


To  adhere,  cohere.  YI,  8.  ^ 

[Syriac  ,אאר  Greek  d^p]  Air.  II, 

Sign,  letter; אותיו ת יסו ר  fundamental  letters.  I,  1. 
: 

מכאן ואילן ו  hinc  et  ulterius;  from  now  further.  lY  16 
These.  Equals  the  biblical  .אלה  YI,  1. 

[Greek  Oblique,  diagonil  direction.  Y,  2. 

Middle,  centre.  I,  2. 


אדק  V. 

אדר  w. 

אות  w. 

אילך  adv. 
אלו  adj. 
אלכסון  adj. 
אמצע  «. 


ב 

בורי  «•  Clearness,  perspicuity.  1, 3. והעמ ד דב ר ע ל בורי ן 

ך - ך . . .■  ..  . 

and  put  the  subject  in  a clear  point  of  view. 

בבא  w.  Division.  Y,  5. 

T T 

בנתים  or בינותי ם  Composed  of  ,בי ן שתים  omitting  ^ between  them. 

1, 1.  [See  Duke’s  Sprache  der  Mischnah,  p.  68.] 


ג 

פב  n.  Back, ע ל גב י  upon  the  back  id  est,  upon  or  above• 

YI,8. 

גןוף  n.  Body,  substance  II,  5. 

גלגל  n.  Circle,  celestial  orb,  or  sphere.  II,  4. 

54 


55 

GLOSSARY. 

ד 

דבור  n. 

Word.  I,  8. 

ה 

הרהר  v. 

Think,  muse,  meditate,  reflect.  I,  7. 

הךהור  n. 

Reflection,  meditotion.  Y,  1. 

ז 

Innocence,  purity,  godliness,  merit.  II,  1. 

•« זכו ת 

ח 

הוכה 

T 

Misdeed,  trespass.  II,  1. 

.® חז ר 

-T 

To  return,  to  turn  one’s  self  round.  II,  5. 

חלילה  n. 

Rotation ; from  to  dance  round.  II,  5. 

T 

ט 

.» טחו ל 

T 

Milt,  spleen.  Y,  4. 

כ 

באן  or כא ן 

adv.  Here,  there ;  מכא ן  thence,  from  thence.  lY,  16. 

.» כוכ ב 

T 

Star ; especially  the  planet  Mercury.  lY,  7. 

בון  piei כו ן 

V,  Direct ;  מכו ן  directed,  situated.  I,  2. 

כיעור  n. 

Ugliness.  lY,  3. 

לכןו-יסבןז 

adv.  So,  thus.  I,  7. 

כרע  Hiph, הכרי ע  V•  To  intervene  in  any  thing,  to  mediate  the 
Deace,  accomodate  a quarrel.  II,  1. 

ל 


לעיטה  n. 

T •: 

Eating,  swallowing.  Y,  1. 

לפיכןז  ddv. 

According  to כןי .  and לפ י  Composed  of  the  words 

that,  therefore.  lY,  15. 

56 


GLOSSABY. 


מ 


מאךים  n. 

The  planet  Mars.  lY,  7. 

.n מדר , 

Measure,  quality,  divine  attribute.  I,  4. 

טנה^  n. 

T : * 

Doctrine,  lesson,  paragraph. 

.» מזלו ת 

Constellations ; especially  the  twelve  signs  of  the 

T • 

Zodiac.  Y,  3. מן ל טו ב  a happy  constellation. 

T ־ 

כמין  adv. 

It  is  a particle  like  ,כ  as ; it  is  added  the  word מי ן 

kind,  denoting ; as  a kind  of,  like,  as.  II,  4. 

מימר  v. 

Chald.  inf. מאמ ר  or  .ממר  To  speak,  command.  II,  5. 

ממש  n, 

T - 

Substance,  reality.  II,  5. 

מעזיבה  n. 

Rampart,  a floor,  pavement.  I,  8. 

מרה  n. 

TT 

Gall.  Y,  4 

מתנהג 

See  .נהג  iy,  1. 

־ T 

נ 

נהג  v. 

With  a ב following  after  it,  signifies : to  make  use 

.n נוגד ! 

of  any  thing.  IY,  1. 

The  planet  Yenus.  IY,  7. 

נעץ  v. 

Chald.  Stick  in,  fasten,  conjoin,  connect.  I,  6. 

נ?ןב 

Opening.  IY,  8. 

ס 

סדי  V. 

Arrange.  Y,  16. 

סימן  n. 

GTjfjLelov  Sign,  illustration.  II,  4.  [See  Geiger’s 
Lesestlicke  der  Mishnah,  p.  121.] 

סליק  n. 

Finished ; the  end  (of  a book  or  chapter.) 

ע 

עריבה  n. 

T ••  ־: 

Contention,  rivalry.  Y,  5. 

•״ עתי ד 

• T 

Future.  II,  2. 

GLOSSABT. 


57 


פ 


•״ פר ק 

Chapter,  section. 

פשוט  adj. 

T 

Divested  of  clothes,  undressed,  simple.  I,  8. 

צ 

צדק  n. 

The  planet  Jupiter.  lY,  7. 

צפייה  n. 

T • : 

Appearance.  I,  5. 

צרף 

Refine,  melt  together,  connect,  combine.  II,  2, 

ק 

^קכע 

To  fix,  to  fasten.  1,  8.  II,  3. 

HTpornap  n. 

T T׳•• 

Stomach.  Y,  4. 

קרקבן  or קורקב ן  n.  stomach,  y,  4. 

ר 

ראיה  n. 

Argument,  evidence.  YI,  2. 

ראגה  n. 

T • I 

Sight.  Y,  1. 

ררה  n. 

T • : 

Redundancy  of  water,  moistness.  III.  4. 

ריח  V. 

Smell.  Y,  1. 

ש 

׳שבתאי  n. 

• T : ־ 

The  planet  Saturn.  lY,  7. 

׳^יחה  n. 

T • 

Speaking.  Y.  1. 

שמיעה  n. 

T * : 

Hearing.  Y,  1. 

שרת  v. 

To  serve.  I,  8. 

n 

תלי  w. 
• : 

The  constellation  Draco  or  Dragon.  YI,  2. 

תשמיש  n. 

Coition.  Y,  1. 

תפס  or תפ ש  v. 

- T “ T 

To  seize,  to  take  hold  of. 

SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


38 


A translation  of  the  six  divisions  of  the  Mishnah 
was  rendered  in  Latin  by  Surenhus  in  the  city  of 
Amsterdam,  (1698 — 1703).  A Spanish  version  ap- 
peared  in  Venice  in  1606;  one  in  German  by  Kabe, 
in  Onolzbach  in  1761 ; and  another  in  Berlin,  1832 
— 1834,  by  the  renowned  Jewish  historian  Dr.  Jost, 
the  modern  Josephus,  who  added  also  vowels  to  the 
Hebrew  text  of  the  Mishnah.  In  former  times  the 
Mishnah  was  accentuated  as  stated  (Tosefoth  on 
treatise  Megillah,  p.  32,  a,)  similar  to  that  of  the 
Hebrew  Bible. 

Only  some  single  treatises  of  the  Talmud  were 
translated  into  Latin  and  German  by  Drs.  Hirschfeld 
and  Pinner ; but  many  talmudical  antholigies,  with 
translations  and  annotations,  have  been  published 
by  Plantavitius,  Hurwitz,  Fiirstenthal,  Piirst  and 
others. 


37 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


the  gate  of  temple  mountain,  and  the  other  at  the 
gate  of  Asarah. 

Cases  involving  capital  punishment  concerning 
false  prophets,  High-priests  and  a whole  tribe,  were 
exclusively  cognizable  in  the  supreme  court,  in  the 
large  hall  adjoining  the  temple. 

On  Friday,  Saturday,  on  the  day  previous  to  a 
biblical  festival  and  on  the  seven  bibhcal  hohdays, 
no  court  was  allowed  to  hold  any  session.  (Treatise 
Synhedrin,  p.  32,  Beza,  36.) 

The  punishment  in  capital  crimes  was  performed 
in  four  modes : stoning,  burning,  beheading  and 
strangling.  (Treatise  Synhedrin,  49,  b.)  The  corpses 
of  those  that  were  stoned  to  death,  were  hung  by 
the  neck  to  a gibbet,  where  they  were  exhibited  until 
sunset. 

The  supreme  court  {Synhedrin  Gedolah),  had  two, 
and  according  to  some,  three  secretaries  to  record 
all  the  proceedings. 

But  forty  years  before  the  destruction  of  Jem- 
Salem,  the  supreme  court  ceased  to  try  any  case 
where  capital  punishment  was  inflicted.  (Treatise 
Synhedrin,*  p.  41,  a.) 


*The  word סנהדרי ן  is  borrowed  from  the  Greek  ^^awedpLov"  0. 
deliberative  assembly  or  council,  and  consequently  must  be  pro- 
nounced  Synhedrin,  and  not  Sanhedrin•,  it  is  feminine  gender,  and 
the  plural  is  SynhedriotJu  (See  Treatise  Synhedrin,  p.  2.) 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


36 


JUDICIAEY  OF  PALESTINE. 

It  is  stated  in  Treatise  Synhedrin,  p.*  2,  that  there 
were  three  different  courts  in  the  land  of  Israel. 

First,  Synhedrin  Gedolah,  supreme  coiirt,  which 
was  composed  of  seventy-one  members.  Second, 
Synhedrin  Ketanah,  the  inferior  court,  consisting  of 
twenty-three  members.  Third,  Beth  Din,  local  court, 
which  consisted  of  three  members. 

The  quahfications  for  any  one  to  become  a judge 
of  the  common  court,  were  intelligence,  modesty 
and  popularity.  (Treatise  Synhedrin,  88  b.)  When 
he  practised  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  people,  he  was 
promoted  to  the  court  at  the  gate  of  Har  Habayith, 
(Temple  Mountain),  from  thence  to  the  court  at  the 
gate  of  the  Asarah  (yard),  and  then  he  was  advanced 
to  the  supreme  court. 

Besides  the  literary  attainments,  however,  every 
aspirant  to  the  judicial  chair  of  the  supreme  court 
had  to  be  possessed  of  an  exalted,  unblemished 
character,  learned  in  sciences,  as  in  mathematics, 
medicine  and  natural  philosophy,  and  well  versed 
in  many  languages.  (Treatise  Synhedrin,  p.  71.) 

The  seat  of  the  supreme  court  was  at  Jerusalem, 
in  a large  hall  in  the  temple  called  Lishchath  Hagga• 
sith,  (the  hall  of  hewn  stone),  and  sometimes  in  the 
palace  of  the  High-priest.  There  were  also^two 
inferior  courts  in  Jerusalem ; one  held  its  session  at 


35 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


pended  bucket,  taking  one  of  the  stones  with  him, 
and  descended  the  well  while  the  other  bucket  slowly 
ascended.  The  bear,  astonished  at  the  strange  freak 
of  his  companion,  asked  him:  “Why  do  you  go 
down?” 

The  fox  reiterated : “ Oh,  how  does  this  place 
abound  with  meat  and  cheese ! Do  you  not  see  the 
luscious  cheese?”  calling  his  attention  to  the  reflec״ 
tion  of  the  full  moon  then  shining  brightly  in  the  sky. 
The  bear,  enticed  by  the  prospect  of  a good  supper, 
inquired  anxiously : “How  can  I get  down.” 

“Well,”  said  master  fox,  “place  the  stone  which  I 
have  selected  in  the  suspended  bucket  and  then  you 
seat  yourself  comfortably  on  it.”  Advising  him  to 
do  so,  that  in  case  the  stupid  bear  should  follow  him 
he  would  nevertheless  be  able  to  ascend  by  throwing 
out  the  stone  from  his  own  bucket  and  then  be  out- 
balanced  by  the  other. 

The  bear,  however,  unwittingly  put  the  stone  in 
the  bucket  and  seated  himself  thereon,  to  the  great 
joy  of  master  fox,  who  having  thrown  his  stone  into 
the  well,  was  instantly  drawn  out  of  his  perilous 
position  and  jumped  from  the  bucket  to  dry  land. 

The  bear  finding  himself  deluded,  growled : “How 
am  I to  get  out?”  And  the  fox  answered:  “The 
righteous  is  dehvered  out  of  his  trouble  and  the 
wicked  cometh  in  his  stead.”  (Proverbs,  Chap,  xi,  8.) 
And  as  it  reads  in  the  Bible,  (Leviticus  xix,  36): 
“Just  balances,  and  just  weights,”  which  rule  you 
have  grossly  violated. 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


34 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  BEAR, 

A fox  persuaded  a bear  to  enter  the  court-yard  of 
a Jewish  family  on  a Friday,  late  in  the  afternoon, 
when  they  were  busy  in  preparing  their  meals  for 
the  Sabbath,  to  offer  them  his  services,  providing 
they  would  allow  him  to  spend  the  Sabbath  with 
them.  But  he  had  hardly  entered  the  premises, 
when  he  was  welcomed  by  an  armed  company  who 
with  their  sticks  assaulted  him  with  such  formidable 
blows,  that  he  had  to  run  for  life. 

The  bear  chagrined  and  growling,  rushed  towards 
the  fox,  intending  to  tear  him  to  pieces.  The  fox, 
however,  succeeded  in  appeasing  his  wrath  by  apol- 
ogising  that  they  mistook  him  for  his  father,  who  had 
also  offered  once  his  help  for  the  preparation  of  the 
Sabbath  meals,  and  at  the  same  time  unceremon- 
iously  helped  himself  to  the  best  dainties  that  they 
had  in  the  house.  “ What,”  asked  the  bear  in  great 
astonishment,  “shall  I suffer  the  punishment  due 
to  my  father?” 

“Yes,”  rejoined  master  fox,  “because  it  is  a well- 
known  proverb : ‘The  fathers  have  eaten  sour  grapes 
and  the  children’s  teeth  are  set  on  edge.’  (Ezekiel 
xviii,  2.)  My  dear,  I will  prove  my  genuine  friend- 
ship  to  you  forthwith;  I know  a place  where  you 
can  eat  and  drink  to  your  hearts  desire.” 

He  then  led  his  snarling  companion  to  a draw- 
well  with  two  buckets  each  fastened  to  the  end  of  a 
rope  attached  to  a pole  laid  across  the  well.  He  took 
two  stones  of  equal  weight,  each  of  them  heavier 
than  himself.  He  then  seated  himself  in  the  sus- 


33 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


to  know,  why  did  God  make  him  unconcious  when 
He  performed  for  him  the  sweetest  blessing  of  his 
existence?” 

She  then  remarked,  “I  will  answer  yonr  question, 
but  before  all  things,  get  me  a piece  of  raw  meat.” 
He  did  her  bidding  with  alacrity.  She  at  once  took 
it,  washed,  salted,  dabbed  and  roasted  it  in  his 
presence;  then  she  asked  him  if  he  would  like  to 
have  a slice  of  it ; but  he  pohtely  declined,  declaring 
that  he  would  have  had  perhaps  some  appetite,  if  he 
had  not  witnessed  the  dressing  of  it. 

“Well,”  she  reiterated,“  exactly  so  was  the  case 
with  the  first  man.  If  he  would  have  seen  how  God 
formed  Eve,  he  might  not  have  liked  her  so  well  as 
when  she  stood  before  him,  graced  with  womanly 
loveliness  and  beauty.”  (Treatise  Synhedrin,  p.  39.) 

Rabbi  Mair  was  the  first  who  remonstrated  against 
the  blind  faith  in  the  authority  of  eminent  men.  He 
enjoined  his  pupils  to  use  their  own  intellectual 
faculties  and  rely  on  the  result  of  their  own  un- 
biassed  criticism. 

He  laid  down  the  maxim : Look  not  at  the  jar 
but  at  that  which  is  therein ; for  there  are  new  jars 
full  of  wine,  and  old  jars  which  do  not  contain  even 
new  wine.  (Aboth,  Chap,  iv.  Sec.  27.) 

He  was  also  considered  the  best  of  the  talmudical 
fable  writers.  The  morals  contained  in  three  hun- 
dred  verses  of  the  Bible  he  illustrated  by  fables,  but 
only  three  have  been  preserved  to  us.  (Treatise 
Synhedrin,  p.  38,  b.) 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


32 


with  pride  of  high  pedigree,  and  that  one  shall  not 
say  to  another,  “My  father  was  of  nobler  blood  than 
yours.”  (Treatise  Synhedrin,  p.  37,  a.) 

It  is  related  that  a cavihng  heathen,  an  acquain- 
tance  of  Rabbi  Gamliel,  once  said  to  him : “If  your 
God,  as  you  assert,  is  the  source  of  all  righteousness, 
please  tell  me,  why  did  He  steal  a rib  from  the  first 
man  when  asleep,  as  it  is  stated  in  Genesis,  Chapter^ 
i,  21?” 

The  amiable  and  accomplished  daughter  of  Gam- 
liel,  who  happened  to  be  present,  requested  her  father 
for  the  permission  to  set  this  infidel  to  rights.  “Well, 
do  so,  my  dear,”  answered  Gamliel. 

She  then  addressed  the  heathen  and  said:  “Sir, 
before  arguing  our  subject,  will  you  have  the  kind- 
ness  to  do  me  a favor  by  calling  in  a justice  of  the 
peace?”  “Why,”  said  he,  “for  what  purpose?” 
She  then  rejoined:  “Some  robbers  invaded  our 
house  last  night,  purloined  a silver  goblet  and  re- 
placed  it  by  a gold  one.” 

“Is  that  all?”  asked  the  heathen,  “I  would  wish 
that  my  house  might  be  pillaged  in  such  a nianner 
every  day.” 

“Well,”  said  she,  “since  you  are  of  such  an  opinion, 
you  will  probably  coincide  with  me  that  it  was  much 
better  for  Adam  to  receive  for  one  rib  a beautiful 
companion  for  his  whole  life,  who  would  share  his 
pleasures  and  woes,  and  would  nourish  him  faithfully 
when  old  and  infirm.” 

“I  admit  that,”  said  the  caviler,  “but  I would  like 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD.  31 

then  remarked  that  he  knew  many  excellent  men 
who  were  handsome  too,  but  that  they  would  be  still 
more  excellent  if  they  were  less  handsome.  (Jalkut 
Parshath  Toldoth.) 

I repeat  now  that  which  I said  in  my  “Guide  for 
Eational  Inquiries  into  the  Biblical  Writings,”  p.  63. 

“As  Grecian  philosophy  began  with  single  sen- 
tences  and  proverbs  of  the  so-called  Seven  Sages,  so 
must  we  regard  the  profound  maxims  and  ascetic 
doctrines  of  the  first  teachers,  which  are  contained 
in  the  “Ethics  of  the  Fathers,”  and  the  “Aboth  of 
Babbi  Nathan,”  as  the  beginning  and  origin  of  phil- 
isophical  studies  among  the  Jews.” 

Many  of  the  Jewish  sages  have  distinguished 
themselves  by  erudition  as  well  as  by  piety.  I have 
selected  here  a few  instances  which  will  acquaint 
the  reader  with  their  true  and  exalted  ideas  and 
views,  and  which  will  perhaps  at  the  same  time 
afford  some  entertainment. 

It  is  remarked  in  the  Mishnah:  Why  did  God 
create  only  one  man  in  the  beginning? 

It  was  for  many  reasons : first.  That  we  may  learn 
from  this  fact,  as  the  earth  was  once  in  existence  for 
the  benefit  and  happiness  of  one  human  being,  the 
ruin  of  one  pious  and  honest  human  soul  is  equal 
to  the  destruction  of  a whole  world,  with  all  its 
forces,  and  the  preservation  of  a human  soul  from 
perdition  is  equal  to  such  a meritorious  work,  as  if 
one  had  preserved  a whole  world  with  all  its  beautiful 
creations.  Second,  That  no  man  shall  be  bloated 


UBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  IIUNQIS 
IS  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


30 


‘‘My  son,”  said  the  mourning  Eabbi,  “thou  hast 
comforted  me ; I am  perfectly  consoled.” 

§ 15.  Let  the  honor  of  thy  fellow-man  be  as  dear 
to  thee  as  thy  own ; do  not  get  easily  into  passion ; 
repent  one  day  before  thy  death ; and  warm  thyself 
by  the  fire  of  wise  men,  but  be  careful  that  the  heat 
does  not  scorch  thee,  for  all  their  words  are  words 
of  fire. 

Eabbi  Elieser,  the  teacher  of  these  maxims,  when 
asked  by  his  disciples  how  any  man  could  strictly 
follow  that  rule,  to  repent  one  day  before  his  death, 
as  no  one  knows  the  time  of  it,  answered : “Therefore 
be  ready  every  day  with  penitence  and  good  deeds, 
as  though  the  next  day  were  thy  last.”  (Aboth 
of  Eabbi  Nathan,  Chap,  xv.) 

§ 16.  Envy,  unbridled  passion  and  misanthropy 
cause  the  death  of  man. 

Eabbi  Joshua,  who  taught  this  maxim,  distin- 
guished  himself  by  his  piety  as  well  as  by  his  wit, 
so  that  he  became  a favorite  of  the  imperial  court 
at  Eome ; but  they  sometimes  made  him  the  butt  of 
their  raillery  on  account  of  his  ughness.  A princess 
once  asked  him : “How  does  it  come  that  an  excellent 
mind  lodges  often  in  an  ugly  body?” 

“Why,”  he  replied,  “does  your  father  keep  his 
best  wine  in  earthen  jars,  and  not  in  vessels  of  gold 
and  silver?” 

The  princess  ordered  at  once  that  vessels  of  gold 
and  silver  should  be  fiUed  with  the  best  wine ; but  it 
soon  grew  sour.  The  emperor,  who  heard  the  story, 


29 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


Chap.  II. — § 2.  It  is  proper  to  combine  the  study 
of  the  law  (erudition)  with  practical  life,  because  he 
who  occupies  himself  with  both  of  these,  thinks  not 
of  sin. 

§ 4.  Sacrifice  thy  will  for  the  will  of  God,  that 
He  may  sacrifice  the  will  of  others  for  thy  will.  Etc. 

§ 9.  If  thou  art  highly  learned,  do  not  pride  thy- 
self  upon  it;  because  for  this  purpose  wast  thou 
created. 

It  is  related,  (Aboth  of  Eabbi  Nathan,  Chap,  xv,) 
that  Babbi  J ochanan,  who  laid  down  this  principle, 
lost  a hopeful  son  in  the  prime  of  his  life.  His  dis- 
ciples  came  to  console  him  and  found  him  in  all  the 
dignity  of  woe.  Every  one  related  to  him  a similar 
calamity  that  had  happened,  but  they  could,  never- 
theless,  not  conquer  by  the  recital  of  such  melancholy 
facts,  the  deep  emotion  of  his  excessive  sorrow  and 
grief.  Eabbi  Elieser  finally  approached  him  very 
modestly  and  accosted  him:  ‘‘Eabbi,  allow  me  to 
tell  thee  to  what  thy  great  loss  which  thou  hast 
suffered  would  be  comparable.  There  was  a king 
who  gave  one  of  his  servants  a very  costly  and  pre- 
cious  vessel  in  keeping.  He  wished  and  sighed  daily: 
‘Oh!  may  I be  so  happy  that  I can  dehver  it  un- 
damaged  and  faultless  when  demanded  of  me  by  the 
king.’  Dear  Eabbi,  thy  son  was  such  an  inestimable 
vessel,  full  of  knowledge,  wisdom,  piety  of  disposi- 
tion  and  urbanity  of  manners,  and  that  thou  didst 
return  it  to  the  owner  in  the  most  perfect  state,  must 
render  thee  now  very  happy.” 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


28 


this  reason  that  they  were  designated  by  their  oppo- 
nents  as  heretics,  as  we  read  in  the  Talmud  Horioth, 
fol.  11 : Who  is  a Sadducee  ? Every  idolater.” 

(Compare  also  Talmud  Synhedrin,  fol.  38,  a and  b, 
and  Midrash  Rabba  Genes.  Chap,  viii.) 

Although  they  regarded  the  soul  as  a part  of  the 
Deity,  they  nevertheless  held  it  to  be  perishable,  like 
every  other  material  being,  for  they  professed  the 
conviction  that  it  was  absurd  to  believe  in  the  exis- 
tence  of  immaterial  things. 

§ 6.  Procure  thyself  a teacher  and  acquire  thyself 
an  associate ; and  judge  all  mankind  favorably. 

§ 7.  Keep  thyself  aloof  from  an  evil  neighbor  and 
associate  not  with  the  wicked ; nor  flatter  thyself  to 
escape  punishment. 

§ 8.  Consider  not  thyself  when  called  on  to  judge 
in  a litigation,  as  an  advocate  of  either  side;  and 
when  the  parties  are  before  thee  to  try  their  cause, 
presume  them  both  guilty ; but  when  they  are  gone 
look  upon  them  both  as  innocent,  provided  they 
submitted  to  the  judicial  decree. 

§ 9.  Cross  examine  the  witnesses  and  be  careful 
of  your  inquiries,  lest  they  learn  from  your  own 
words  to  utter  a falsehood. 

§ 10.  Love  labor,  loathe  playing  the  master,  and 
aspire  not  after  dominion. 

§ 11.  Ye  learned  men,  be  cautious  of  your  words, 
that  your  disciples  may  not  misconstrue  and  hence 
misunderstand  them.  Etc.,  etc. 


27 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


adopted  the  system  of  the  Stoics  then  flourishing  in 
Greece. 

But  as  the  Bible  was  and  remained  the  centre  and 
appeal  of  all  their  investigations,  it  was  but  natural 
that  their  new  philisophical  system  produced  a new 
mode  of  interpreting  the  sacred  books,  and  with  it 
a new  rehgious  sect.  Allured  probably  by  Grecian 
stoicism,  some  teachers  strove  to  vindicate  this  sys- 
tern  of  Antigonus.  They  remarked,  From  what 
motives  was  this  principle  advanced,  and  why  has  it 
been  upheld  by  later  teachers  ? Is  it  to  be  imagined 
that  a laborer  should  work  the  whole  day  without 
receiving  due  reward  in  the  evening?  If  our  fathers 
had  acknowledged  a life  to  come  and  the  resurrection 
of  the  dead,  they  would  never  have  adopted  •this 
principle  of  Antigonus.  (Aboth  of  Eabbi  Nathan, 
Sec.  5.) 

By  these  and  similar  reflections,  they  gained  many 
votaries,  established  a school  of  their  own  and  as- 
sumed,  after  the  names  of  Zadok  and  Baithos,  the 
appellations  of  Sadducees  and  Baithosians.  The 
former,  however,  remained  preponderant.  (Vide 
Jost’s  History  of  the  Israelites,  [larger  work  in  12 
vols.],  Vol.  I,  p,  66,  and  Appendix  No.  31 ; Universal 
History  of  the  Israehtes,  [smaller  work  in  2 vols.], 
Vol.  I,  p.  619.) 

They  assumed  hke  the  Stoics,  two  eternal  princi- 
pies  of  all  things,  a passive  one,  (tA?;  Hyle,  in  Hebrew, 
Tohu  WawohUy תה ו ובה ו)  and  an  active  principle,  God; 
hence  their  system  is  the  dualistic  one.  It  was  for 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


26 


the  great  S3a10d,  taught : The  welfare  of  the  human 
race  in  this  world  is  sustained  by  virtue  of  three 
things,  viz : the  law,  divine  worship  and  charity. 

§ 3.  Antigonus  of  Socho,  who  flourished  in  the 
third  century  before  the  common  era,  taught:  Be 
not  like  servants  who  serve  their  master  with  a view 
of  receiving  rewards;  but  like  servants  who  serve 
their  master  without  the  view  of  being  rewarded,  and 
then  will  you  truly  be  God-fearing. 

This  sage  was  probably  acquainted  with  the  doc- 
trines  of  Socrates,  (Xenophon’s  Memorabiha,  I,  1,  § 
2-3,  III,  9,  § 15,)  and  therefore  he  pronounced  the 
above  sentence,  that  doing  right  even  because  it  is 
right  and  without  regard  to  future  reward,  is  wor- 
shiping  God,  is  religion. 

It  is  not  only  historically  certain,  that  in  cense- 
quence  of  the  invasion  of  Asia  by  Alexander  the 
Great,  the  Grecian  language,  hterature  and  culture 
were  transplanted  to  Palestine,  but  the  very  name 
‘‘Antigonus”  leads  us  to  suppose  that  the  Chaldaic 
and  Hebrew  languages  had  to  yield  their  places  to 
the  Grecian. 


THE  OEIGIN  OP  SADDUCISM. 

The  conciseness  of  the  language,  however,  used 
by  Antigonus  in  this  sentence,  caused  his  disciples 
Zadok  and  Baithos  to  misunderstand  its  meaning, 
so  that  they  drew  false  conclusions  from  it  and 


25 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


the  journal  is  open  and  the  hand  recordeth,  and 
whosoever  wishes  may  come  and  borrow;  yet  the 
collectors  (death  in  various  forms)  are  continually 
going  around,  and  sometimes  get  paid  with,  the  con־ 
sent  of  the  debtors,  and  sometimes  without  it ; and 
the  collectors  have  good  authority  on  which  to  rest 
for  support,  for  the  Court  renders  its  decision  in 
conformity  with  truth  and  justice,  and  everything 
is  thus  arranged  in  order  to  prepare  for  the  feast.” 
(Ethics  of  the  Fathers,  Chap.  3,  § 15-16.) 

And  although  good  and  evil  are  entirely  left  in  this 
sublunary  world  to  man’s  choice,  they  taught  that  he 
who  pursues  or  endeavors  to  pursue  the  path  of  virtue 
receives  the  support  of  God ; whereas  the  designs  of 
him  who  chooses  the  way  of  wickedness  are  not  fixed 
from  above,  but  entirely  the  fruits  of  his  own  choice. 
(Treatise  Joma,  fol.  38.)  These  principles  are  based 
upon  Psalms  xxxvii,  xxiii  and  Proverbs  xx  and  xxiii. 

As  the  most  ancient  talmudical  gnomology  is  con- 
tained  in פרק י אבו ת  PirJce  AbotJi,  (the  Chapters  of  the 
Fathers,)  I will  quote  here  some  of  these  beautiful 
maxims  and  sayings. 

ETHICS  OF  THE  FATHEES. 

Chap.  I. — § 1.  The  men  of  the  great  Synod  laid 
down  three  principles : Be  careful  in  giving  judgment; 
train  up  many  disciples,  and  make  a fence  for  the 
law.  (Meaning  [sepes  legis]  guard  laws,  precaution- 
ary  ordinances.) 

§ 2.  Simon  the  Just,  who  was  one  of  the  last  of 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


24 


danger  threaten  us  even  when  we  are  studying  the 
holy  scriptures,  which  are  the  means  of  a happy 
existence  and  the  source  of  a happy  hfe,  how  much 
more  are  we  exposed  to  all  kinds  of  trouble  and  woe, 
if  we  neglect  to  study  our  holy  books!” 

A short  time  had  elapsed  since  the  above  interview 
between  the  two  Eabbis,  when  both  Akiba  and  Papus 
were  arrested  and  thrown  into  a dungeon.  Papus, 
broken-hearted,  said  to  Akiba:  “Happy  art  thou, 
Akiba!  Thou  art  here  for  having  battled  for  the 
cause  of  our  holy  religion;  but  woe  to  me!  I am 
imprisoned  for  having  spent  my  time  in  temporal 
and  vain  efforts,  and  I did  not  mind  the  wise  hint 
thou  hast  given  me.  Woe  to  me,  that  I did  not 
heed  thy  sound  judgment,  and  did  not  follow  thy 
noble  example!”  (Treatise  Berachoth,  p.  61,  b.) 

Furthermore,  the  Pharisees  taught:  there  is  no 
fatalism  on  earth,  but  all  that  happens  is  so  ordained 
by  God,  (treatise  Chullin,  fol.  7,  b,)  except  virtue  and 
piety,  which  are  entirely  left  to  man’s  free  choice. 

In  reference  to  this,  Eabbi  Akiba  expresses  him- 
self  thus : “Everything  that  is  done  is  foreseen  by 
Providence,  although  freedom  of  choice  concerning 
moral  actions,  is  left  to  man.  God  judges  the 
world  for  its  own  well-being,  and  the  judgment  de- 
pends  on  the  balance  of  deeds.  Man  goes  bail  with 
himself  for  all  that  he  receives  and  for  all  that  he 
does ; his  life  is  always  in  the  net  of  retribution  that 
is  spread  over  all  men.  On  the  mart  of  life,  the 
warehouse  is  open,  the  merchant  (God)  crediteth. 


23 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


Rabbi  Akiba  kept  preaching  pnbKcly  on  the  divine 
sci'iptnres,  undaunted  and  with  incomparable  courage. 

Papus,  the  son  of  Judah,  met  him  just  when  he 
was  addressing  a vast  audience.  He  accosted  him 
thus:  ‘‘Dear  Rabbi,  art  thou  not  afraid  of  being 
punished  by  the  government  ?”  Rabbi  Akiba  rephed : 
“Our  situation  reminds  me  of  a story,  which  I shall 
tell  you  now,  from  which  you  may  learn  a lesson.” 

THE  FOX  AND  THE  FISHES. 

“A  fox  was  walking  on  the  brink  of  a river  and 
observed  that  there  was  a great  commotion  among 
the  fishes  therein.  They  were  swimming  uneasily 
to  and  fro.  He  asked  them,  ‘Why  are  you  so  rest- 
less  to-day?  By  whom  are  you  pursued?’  They 
answered,  ‘We  want  to  escape  the  perils  of  nets  and 
hooks  which  men  throw  out  to  catch  us.’ 

“Then  said  the  fox,  ‘I  pity  you  my  dear  ones,  but 
I will  tell  you  now  what  you  have  to  do  in  order  to 
be  rescued.  Come  to  me  on  dry  land,  where  we  will 
then  lead  a happy  life  together.’ 

“But  they  said,  ‘Art  thou  the  same  beast  that  is 
regarded  by  all  as  the  wisest  among  the  brutes? 
Thou  seemest  not  to  be  wise  at  all,  but  a fool.  If 
we  are  in  danger  of  losing  our  lives  in  the  water,  our 
natural  element  of  life,  how  much  more  dangerous 
would  it  be  for  us  to  be  on  dry  land,  where  we  could 
not  exist  at  all !’” 

“This,”  continued  Akiba,  “is  exactly  the  case  with 
us,  in  these  times  of  persecution.  If  trouble  and 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


22 


was  very  dark.  He  let  the  rooster,  (the  alarm  clock 
in  the  night  of  past  ages,}  which  he  carried  with  him 
to  tell  him  the  time,  perch.  He  had  hardly  climbed 
up  a high  tree  in  order  to  spend  the  night  in  safety, 
when  a lion  came  and  tore  his  mule  to  pieces,  a wild 
cat  devoured  his  rooster  and  the  wind  blew  out  his 
torch.  After  observing  all  that  had  happened,  he 
said  to  himself,  ‘^Whatever  God  does  is  well  done.” 

During  the  same  night,  the  enemy,  who  were  en- 
camped  in  that  vicinity,  took  that  very  place  by 
surprise  where  he  had  wanted  to  stay  all  night,  laid 
it  low,  and  made  nearly  all  its  inhabitants  prisoners. 
He  then  addressed  all  the  fugitives  who  took  to  the 
woods  for  a refuge  : “Was  I not  right  in  maintaining 
that  whatever  God  does  is  well  done?  If  I had  re- 
mained  in  the  city,  or  my  torch  continued  to  burn, 
or  had  my  mule  neighed,  or  the  rooster  crowed,  the 
enemy  would  have  detected,  plundered  and  taken 
me  prisoner  too.” 

As  a consequence  of  this  principle,  which  they 
applied  to  both  physical  and  moral  evils,  the  Phar- 
isees  taught  that  we  should  thank  God  also  for  events 
that  seem  to  us  to  be  evil.  (Treatise  Berachoth,  p.  54.) 

I will  now  relate  an  instance  which  is  illustrative 
of  the  pious  character  and  just  reasoning  of  Babbi 
Akiba,  and  which  is  also  worthy  of  the  close  attention 
of  the  reader. 

There  was  once  a decree  of  the  Homan  Emperor, 
that  any  one  who  would  study  the  holy  law  should 
be  put  to  death.  Notwithstanding  this  prohibition. 


21 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


They  were  votaries  of  supernaturalism  and  enter- 
tained  the  following  opinions:  God  is  an  infinite, 
(Midrash  Eabba  Genes.  Chap.  68,)  unique,  spiritual, 
(treatise  Chagigah,  fol.  15,)  eternal,  necessary,  provi- 
dential  being  (Midrash  Eabba  Exod.  Chap.  3,  and 
treatise  Berachoth,  fol.  9,)  who  cannot  be  conceived 
bv  human  understanding,  (treatise  Berachoth,  fol.  31 ) . 
He  does  not  exist  in  the  world,  but  the  whole  universe 
exists  in  him,  (Midrash  Eabba,  Chap.  68,)  wherefore 
God  is  also  called  the  infinite  space,  Mahom.  He 
can  be  perceived  only  through  His  works.  (Ibid, 
Chap.  1.) 

As  regards  the  creation,  they  taught  that  out  of 
the  many  systems  of  worlds  which  were  present  to 
His  wisdom,  he  created  the  best  possible  one,  and 
instituted  the  best  order.  Optimism.  (Ibid  Genes. 
Chap.  3.)  Hence  the  principle  laid  down  by  Eabbi 
Akiba:  “Whatever  God  does  is  well  done.”  (Ibid 
Genes.  Chap.  3,  and  treatise  Berachoth,  p.  60.) 

This  is  illustrated  by  the  following  story.  It  is 
related,  (treatise  Berachoth,  p.  60,  b,) : Eabbi  Akiba 
was  once  on  a journey,  and  when  reaching  the  last 
inhabited  place  bordering  on  an  extensive  forest,  he 
wanted  to  stop  there  over  night.  But  as  he  had 
apphed  everywhere  in  vain  for  lodging,  he  said  to 
them : “Whatever  God  does  is  well  done.”  He  con- 
tinned  his  way  and  resolved  to  stay  all  night  in  the 
forest. 

He  tied  his  jaded  mule  to  a tree,  lighted  a torch 
and  fastened  it  on  a dry  stump,  because  the  night 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


20 


There  are  two  collections ; first,  the  Hierosolmitic 
or  Tiberianic ; second,  the  Babylonian,  both  called 
Talmud.  First, תלמו ד ירושלמ י  ( Talmud  Jeruslialmi) ; 
second, תלמו ד בבל י  {Talmud  Bavly).  The  first  was 
edited  by  Kabbi  Jochanan,  in  Palestine,  about  three 
hundred  years  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
and  the  latter  by  Rabbi  Ashe,  president  of  the  Baby- 
Ionian  academy  of  Sura, — from  365  to  425 — and  by 
his  pupil  and  friend  Abina. 


THE  SYSTEM  OF  THE  PHARISEES. 

The  men  educated  in  the  rabbinical  colleges  at 
J erusalem  before  the  destruction  of  the  second  temple 
were  generally  called פרושי ם  Pharisees,"^  expounders. 
The  word פרו ש  is  derived  from  the  verb פר ש  Parosh, 
to  explain,  to  interpret. 

I will  now  endeavor  to  sketch  with  an  unbiassed 
mind  the  system  of  these  Pharisees,  as  it  is  to  be 
found  in  the  vast  rabbinical  literature. 

It  seems  to  me  that,  led  by  the  principle  of  enjoy- 
ing  the  substance  and  casting  away  the  shell,  the 
Pharisees  made  an  eclectic  use  of  the  Grecian  phil- 
osophy,  assigning  as  they  did,  high  authority  to  the 
Socratic,  Platonic  and  Aristotelian  schools.  (See 
my  ‘‘Guide  for  Rational  Inquiries  into  the  Biblical 
Writings,”  p.  63—71.) 

*Philo  calls  them  00404־,  the  pious,  the  religious.  He  took  the 
word פרו ש  ParusU  in  the  Aramaic  sense,  meaning:  one  whose- 
eludes  himself  from  worldly  passions  and  devotes  himself  to  the 
duties  of  piety. 


/ X 

SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD.  19 

of  him,  that  since  Moses  he  was  the  first  who  com- 
bined  in  a high  degree  erudition  with  worldly  power. 

He  commanded  thus  the  respect  of  all,  and  his 
collection  of  the  Mishnah  was  acknowledged  and 
adopted  by  all  Jewish  congregations  as  a religious 
text  book.  But  after  the  publication  of  the  Mishnah 
by  Rabbi  Jehudah  Hanasi,  his  disciples  busied  them- 
selves  in  making  collections  of  the  expositions  of  the 
various  opinions  to  be  met  with  therein,  respecting 
the  same  subject,  and  to  complete  them.  Thus 
originated  the  work  called תוספת א  ( Tlioseplita)  a ^‘Sup- 
plement,”  or  ‘‘Addition.”  That  of  Rabbi  Chija  and 
Rabbi  Oshaja  was  preferred  on  account  of  its  ac- 
curacy.  The  same  composed  also  a book, בריית א 
{Baraitlia),  which  contains  the  excluded  portion  of 
the  Mishnah  code  by  Rabbi  Jehudah. 

There  were  other  collections  made,  called  Mechil- 
thay  of  Rabbi  Ishmael ; Sifra  or  Thorath  Kohanimy 
Siphrai  of  BaVy  Pesicta  dWah  Kahanay  etc.,  etc. 

Here  I must  remark,  that  all  the  Rabbis  from  the 
days  of  Simon  the  Just  until  the  time  of  Rabbi  Je- 
hudah  Hanasi  had  the  title  of  Thanairriy  teachers,  or 
סופרים  Scribes.  The  Rabbis  and  chiefs  of  academies 
who  afterwards  presided  were  called אמורי ם  {Amo- 
raim)y  preachers,  expounders. 

As  there  were  accumulated  many  commentaries 
on  the  Mishnah,  it  became  then  necessary  to  compile 
a new  text  book.  This  was  entitled גמר א  {Gamara)y 
the  final  judgment  or  decree. 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


18 


writing ; because  in  former  times  only  the  prophets, 
heads  of  congregations  and  colleges  were  allowed  to 
have  copies  of  the  traditional  laws,  which  they  called 
^^Megilloth  Setarim,''  “Secret  Scrolls.”  They  had  to 
study  them  secretly  in  order  to  commit  them  to 
memory,  that  they  might  then  be  able  to  teach  them 
in  public  orally.  But  when  the  Israelites  continued 
to  emigrate  into  distant  countries,  and  were  thus 
prevented  from  attending  the  Jewish  academies, 
Babbi  Jehudah  considered  it  much  better  to  break 
a time-honored  custom  and  reduce  the  oral  law  to 
writing,  so  that  it  might  be  in  every  man’s  hand,  and 
be  thus  accessible  to  all,  than  to  expose  the  whole 
tradition  to  the  risk  of  being  misunderstood  or  for- 
gotten. 

Although  many  short-sighted  zealots  and  fanatics 
decried  this  innovation  as  a heresy,  Babbi  Jehudah 
did,  nevertheless,  carry  out  his  view,  and  justified  it 
by  referring  to  the  words  of  the  Psalmist,  cxix,  126 : 
“It  is  time  for  the  Lord  to  work,  for  they  have  made 
void  thy  law.”  This  verse  he  interpreted  thus : It 
is  time  to  act  in  behalf  of  the  Lord,  means,  that 
single  biblical  laws  may  be  violated  in  order  to  pre- 
serve  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  whole  law. 
(Treatise  Berachoth,  p.  54,  a,  etc.) 

He  was  a contemporary  of  the  Boman  Emperor 
Antonine  the  Pious,  who  was  his  intimate  friend. 
Having  been  appointed  Nasi  by  the  Emperor,  he 
used  his  infiuence  on  his  imperial  friend  to  the  best 
advantage  of  his  co-religionists.  Therefore  it  is  said 


17 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


a great  deal  to  the  accumulation  of  new  laws  and 
regulations ; because  the  disciples  of  Shamai  mostly 
forbade  that  which  those  of  Hillel  allowed.  (Idioth, 
Chap,  in-iv.)  It  went  so  far  that  the  Mosaic  law 
appeared  to  be  like  two  different  codes,  and  on  ac- 
count  of  the  contradictory  regulations  of  the  teachers, 
(Tlianaim^ תנאי ם),  who  acted  as  they  thought  proper, 
the  religious  people  of  one  place  were  considered 
irreligious  at  another. 

THE  SECOND  EDITOE  OF  THE  MISHNAH. 

To  remedy  this  evil,  Eabbi  Jehudah  Hanasi,  the 
son  of  Eabbi  Simeon,  the  son  of  Gamliel,  or  as  they 
used  to  call  him,  Eabenu  Hakadosh,  “our  holy 
teacher,”  or  simply  “Eabbi,”  as  Aristotle  was  em- 
phatically  called  in  the  Middle  Ages,  “the  philos- 
opher,” — collected  all  traditions  as  well  as  the  dis- 
cussions  on  the  particulars  of  all  ceremonies,  re- 
arranged  and  revised  all  the  rabbinical  laws  and 
explanations  given  in  the  various  academies  during 
the  former  centuries.  He  arranged  them  also  like 
the  first  edition,  in  six  principal  parts,  {Sedarim)  each 
of  these  again  into  single  books  or  treatises,  {Maseeh- 
toth)  which  were  sub-divided  into  chapters,  {Perakim) 
and  these  again  into  paragraphs,  which  are  strictly 
called  Mishnalis,  He  finished  this  work  one  hundred 
and  twenty  years  after  the  destruction  of  the  sec- 
ond  temple  at  Jerusalem. 

Eabbi  Jehudah  was  the  first  teacher  who  ven- 
tured  to  reduce  all  traditions  and  rabbinical  laws  to 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


16 


ond,  from  a similarity  of  phrases  used  in  different 
passages ; third,  from  the  principal  idea  contained 
in  one  verse;  fourth,  from  the  principal  idea  con- 
tained  in  two  verses ; fifth,  from  comparing  a general 
view  of  a subject  with  its  descriptive  details  ; sixth, 
from  a particular  expression  followed  then  by  a gen- 
eral  one;  seventh,  from  whatever  may  be  learned 
from  the  connection:”  * 

The  noble  and  praiseworthy  intention  of  Hillel 
was,  however,  not  quite  understood  by  his  own  dis- 
ciples,  nor  by  those  of  his  hasty-tempered  antagonist 
Shamai. 

About  one  hundred  years  later  Eabbi  Ishmael 
taught  that  there  are  thirteen  hermeneutic  exegetical 
rules.  (See  Thorath  Kohanim,  in  the  beginning.) 
Some  time  still  later  Eabbi  Elieser,  the  son  of  Jose, 
the  Galilean,  added  again  nineteen  hermeneutic  ex- 
egetical  rules.  These  thirty-two  rules  were  then 
generally  adopted  to  expound  the  biblical  scriptures, 
and  laws  were  thus  accumulated  upon  laws,  so  that 
every  breath  of  a Jewish  hfe  was  besieged  by  rab- 
binical  requirements,  and  the  small  sacred  volume 
was  drowned  in  the  ocean  of  Mishnahs. 

Besides  this,  the  discord  which  took  place  between 
the  school  of  Hillel  and  the  school  of  Shamai  added 


*שבעה מרו ת רר ש הל ל הזק ן לפנ י בנ י בתיר ה אל ו הן : ק״ ו 
וגזירה שור! / ובני ן א ב מכתו ב אחי / ובני ן א ב משנ י כתובים / 
ומכלל ופר ט ומפר ט ובלל / וכיוצ א ב ו במקו ם אהר , ירב ר 
הלמר מענינ ו(אבו ת ררב י נת ן פר ק ל"ז> : 


15 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


not  accompany  him  *v7hen  he  went  up  with  the  exiles 
from  Babylon  to  settle  Jerusalem.  He  ordered  the 
first  tithes  to  be  given  to  the  priests,  and  not  to  the 
Levites,  as  the  Bible  commands.  (Treatise  Jeba- 
moth,  p.  86,  b.) 

Hillel  suspended  an  express  biblical  law  when  he 
was  convinced  that  it  had  become  impracticable  and 
might  prove  detrimental  to  the  general  welfare.  We 
find  accordingly  the  following  departure  in  treatise 
Shebiith,  Chap,  xii,  3-4 : When  one  has  filed  a de- 

claration  in  court  that  he  will  not  consider  his  debtor 
released  at  the  release  year,  then  does  the  seventh 
year  not  extinguish  debt.”  He  termed  such  docu- 
ments פרוזבו ל  wpog  prosbole,  which  is  a Greek  ex- 
pression  meaning  ^‘before  the  court.”  He  made  this 
institution,  as  it  is  exphcitly  stated  in  treatise  Gittin, 
Chap,  iv,  3,  in  order  to  preserve  the  well-being  of  the 
Jewish  state ; as  the  rich  had  refused  to  lend  to  the 
poor,  notwithstanding  the  law  makes  benevolence 
obligatory,  in  view  of  the  debt  at  the  advent  of  the 
release  year. 

Since  Hillel  considered  all  the  rehgious  laws  as 
instrumental  to  the  advancement  of  the  temporal  and 
spiritual  welfare  of  man,  he  handed  down  seven 
hermeneutic  exegetical  rules,  (Aboth  derabbi  Nathan 
Chap,  xxxvii,  and  Siphra,  at  the  beginning),  by  which 
the  oral  and  written  law  should  be  interpreted,  ac- 
cording  to  the  wants  of  the  time. 

He  stated,  ^^An  inference  may  be  made:  first, 
from  minor  to  major  and  from  major  to  minor;  sec- 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


14 


If  one  has  acquired  a good  name,  he  has  acquired 
it  for  himself;  if  one  has  acquired  a knowledge  of 
the  law,  he  has  obtained  immortal  life. 

Ibid  Sec.  8. 


Hillel  was  the  first  Jewish  scholar  who  made  many 
critical,  exegetical  and  paleographical  remarks  on  the 
Bible,  when  he  lectured  thereon  in  Jerusalem.  These 
were  partly  written  on  the  margin  of  the  book  and 
partly  handed  down  orally  from  age  to  age  until  they 
were  finally  collected  as  Masora,  (מסורה)  tradition, 
which  was  finished  in  the  eleventh  century. 

Progress  and  developement”  was  Hillel’s  motto. 
He  did  not  endeavor  to  maintain  everything  in  the 
Jewish  religion  in  statu  quo,  but  he  tried  earnestly 
and  zealously  to  evoke  an  unceasing  activity  in  the 
field  of  religion.  His  intention  was  not  to  make  the 
law  more  onerous  and  to  interpret  it  at  pleasure ; but 
he  always  strove  earnestly  to  harmonize  it  with  the 
circumstances  of  time  and  place. 

That  he  did  this,  however,  without  any  religious 
scruple,  arose  from  the  fact  that  this  had  already 
been  done  in  many  instances  by  the  prophets.  In 
this  manner  it  was  that  the  ceremony  of  circumcision 
was  dispensed  with  under  Moses,  while  the  Israehtes 
were  sojourning  in  the  wilderness,  and  the  Day  of 
Atonement  under  Solomon.  The  prophet  Elij  ah,  who 
was  not  a descendant  of  Aaron,  sacrificed  at  an  un- 
holy  place.  Furthermore,  Ezra  altered  a biblical 
law  in  order  to  punish  the  Levites,  because  they  did 


13 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


to  the  labor  which  thou  wilt  undergo,  so  shall  be 
thy  recompense.*  Aboth  derabbi  Kathan,  Chap.  xii. 

Separate  not  thyself  from  the  congregation;  nor 
have  confidence  in  thyself  until  the  day  of  thy  death. 
Judge  not  thy  neighbor  until  thou  art  placed  in  the 
same  circumstances ; neither  utter  anything  which  is 
incomprehensible,  in  the  hope  that  it  afterwards  may 
be  comprehended ; nor  say,  When  I shall  have  leisure 
I will  study;  for  oerhaps  thou  mayest  never  have 
the  leisure.  Proverbs  of  the  Fathers,  Chap,  ii,  Sec.  5. 

The  rude  man  feareth  not  sin ; the  ignorant  cannot 
be  pious ; the  bashful  cannot  become  learned,  nor 
the  passionate  be  a teacher ; nor  will  he  who  is  most- 
ly  engaged  in  commerce  become  wise. 

In  a place  where  there  are  no  eminent  men  en- 
deavor  thou  to  become  eminent.  Ibid  Sec.  6. 

He  who  increaseth  his  fiesh  multiplieth  food  for 
worms ; he  who  multiplieth  riches  increaseth  care ; 
he  who  increaseth  female  servants  increaseth  lewd- 
ness;  he  who  multiplieth  man  servants  increaseth 
robbery ; but  he  who  increaseth  his  knowledge  of  the 
law  increaseth  life. 

He  who  attends  much  at  school  increaseth  wisdom; 
he  who  increaseth  in  refiection  increaseth  in  pru- 
dence ; he  who  exerciseth  much  charity  multipheth 
peace. 

*אם אנ י כא ן הכ ל כא ן א ם אנ י לי ת כא ן מא ן כא ן היסב ה 
והופך ב ה דכול א ב ה ולכולהו ן לסו ם צער א אגרא • 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


12 


‘‘Do  that  to  no  man  which  thou  hatest.”  Compare 
also  Matt,  vii,  12  : “Therefore  all  things  whatever  ye 
would”  etc. 

It  would  not  be  out  of  place  to  make  the  reader 
acquainted  with  many  more  maxims  of  Hillel, 


HILLEL’S  PKOVEEBS. 

Be  of  the  disciples  of  Aaron,  loving  and  pursuing 
peace;  loving  mankind  and  bringing  them  to  the 
study  of  the  law.  proverbs  of  the  Fathers,  Chap,  i.  Sec.  12. 

He  who  is  ambitious  of  magnifying  his  name,  de- 
stroyeth  his  name ; and  he  who  doth  not  increase  his 
knowledge,  diminisheth  it;  and  he  who  doth  not 
study  the  law  deserves  death ; and  whosoever  useth 
for  himself  the  crown  of  the  law  will  perish,  ibid  13. 

If  I do  not  act  for  myself  who  can  do  it  for  me  ? 
"When  I am  alone  by  myself,  what  am  I ? If  I act 
not  now,  when  shall  I?  Ibid  14. 

Hillel  once  saw  a skull  floating  on  the  surface  of 
the  water,  and  he  said  to  it : “Because  thou  didst 
drown  others,  thou  wast  drowned,  and  at  the  end 
will  those  who  drowned  thee  also  be  drowned.” 

Ibid  Chap,  ii,  Sec.  7. 

If  the  great  I AM  is  here,  all  is  here,  and  if  the  I 
AM  is  not  here,  who  is  here?  Therefore  reflect 
thereon  continually,  for  all  is  in  Him,  and  according 


11 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


fore,  make  ourselves  familiar  with  all  the  laws  and 
privileges  concerning  the  priesthood.”  He  read  with 
the  heathen  the  third  and  fourth  books  of  Moses, 
and  when  they  came  to  the  tenth  verse  of  the  third 
chapter  in  Numbers,  where  it  reads:  ^^And  the 
stranger  that  cometh  nigh  shall  be  put  to  death,’^ 
Hillel  remarked,  that  even  King  David,  not  being  a 
descendant  of  Aaron,  would  have  suffered  the  same 
punishment,  if  he  had  attempted  to  usurp  the  priestly 
dignity.  The  heathen,  satisfied  with  this  explanation, 
embraced  Judaism  unconditionally. 

The  second  said,  ‘T  am  desirous  to  become  a Jew, 
provided  that  I may  keep  the  written,  but  not  the 
oral  law.”  Hillel  then  taught  him  the  letters  of  the 
alphabet  in  their  usual  order,  and  afterwards  reversed 
them,  ‘^hy  is  that?”  asked  the  heathen.  ‘'Well!” 
answered  Hillel,  "why  do  you  reject  the  statement 
that  one  teacher  handed  down  to  another  the  correct 
statement  of  the  law?”  Prompted  by  this  pertinent 
observation,  the  stranger  also  embraced  Judaism  un- 
conditionally. 

The  third  said,  "I  wish  to  become  a proselyte, 
provided  the  Jewish  religion  can  be  taught  to  mo  in 
so  short  a time  as  I can  stand  on  one  foot.”  "What- 
ever  is  not  pleasant  unto  thee,  do  not  unto  thy  fellow- 
man.  This  is  the  substance  of  the  law  and  the  pro- 
phets ; all  the  rest  is  but  the  commentary  thereon. 
Go  and  refiect  on  it,”  rephed  Hillel,  and  thereby 
won  over  the  third  by  his  kindness  and  skill. 

The  above  principle  is  also  quoted,  Tobit  iv,  15 : 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


10 


be  no  more  such  men  as  you  in  Israel.”  ‘‘Why, 
my  son?”  interrogated  Hillel.  “Because  I have  lost 
on  account  of  you  a wager  of  four  hundred  dinars,” 
said  the  stranger,  and  related  to  him  the  whole  story. 
Hillel  kindly  reprimanded  him,  and  advised  him  to 
be  more  prudent,  and  the  pecuniary  loss  he  had  met 
with  would  serve  him  as  a lesson  in  the  future. 

Three  heathens  being  desirous  to  embrace  Judaism 
made  their  applications  personally  for  this  purpose 
to  Shamai,  a colleague  of  Hillel ; but,  notwithstand- 
ing  he  was  a disciple  of  the  latter,  he  adopted  the 
great  virtue  which  distinguished  his  master  and  friend 
merely  theoretically,  and  not  practically.  Shamai 
taught : (see  Proverbs  of  the  Fathers,  Chap.  I,  § 15) 
“Let  it  be  thy  business  to  study  the  law;  say  little 
and  do  much,  and  receive  all  men  with  affability.” 
In  spite  of  this  wise  teaching,  however,  he  did  not 
control  his  propensity  to  anger,  and  when  the  above 
mentioned  three  strangers  had  an  interview  with  him 
concerning  their  conversion  to  Judaism,  he  became 
so  irritated  at  them  on  acccount  of  the  peculiar  con- 
ditions  they  suggested,  that  he  launched  into  in- 
vectives  against  them  and  sent  them  away. 

They  then  went  to  Hillel,  who  received  them  kindly 
and  endeavored  to  gain  their  hearts  by  his  usual 
mildness.  One  said,  “I  wish  to  become  a Jew,  pro- 
vided  I can  be  elected  to  the  office  of  a high  priest.” 
Hillel  replied,  “ My  son,  whoever  desires  to  hold  an 
office  should  know  all  the  duties  connected  with  it, 
in  order  to  discharge  them  faithfully.  Let  us,  there- 


9 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


repKed : ‘‘  What  do  you  wish  my  son?  ” “ I want  to 
ask  you  a question.”  ‘‘What  is  it,  my  son?” 

“I  would  like  to  know,”  said  the  man,  “why  do 
the  Babylonians  have  pointed  heads?”  Hillel  rephed, 
“It  seems  to  me  that  the  midwives  are  to  blame  for 
it.”  The  man  went  away,  but  soon  returned,  crying 
out : “ miel ! Hihel ! where  is  Hillel?  ” HiUel,  who 
had  returned  from  his  bath,  speedily  put  on  his  cloak 
and  asked : “ What  do  you  wish,  my  son?  ” 

“ I want  to  be  informed  why  the  Thermodeens  have 
weak  eyes?”  “That  is  a very  important  question, 
my  son.  I suppose  they  are  subjected  to  dullness 
of  sight  because  they  live  in  a sandy  country,  and 
the  wind  drives  the  sand  into  their  eyes.”  The  man 
left,  but  soon  returned  in  the  same  impudent  manner. 
Hillel  asked  again  with  a pleasing  countenance : 
“What  do  you  wish,  my  son?” 

“Tell  me,”  said  the  stranger,  “why  the  Africans 
have  such  broad  feet?”  “Indeed!  that  is  a question 
of  great  moment,  my  son ! ” answered  Hillel,  “but  I 
think  the  reason  of  it  is,  because  they  are  obhged  to 
walk  mostly  barefooted,  on  account  of  their  living 
in  marshy  countries.” 

“ I would  ask  you,”  continued  the  stranger,  “many 
more  queries,  but  I fear  you  will  be  angry  with  me.” 
Hillel  seated  himself  and  said:  “Let  me  hear  all 
your  questions  and  I will  try  to  answer  them.”  “Are 
you,”  rejoined  the  stranger,  “he  whom  the  people 
call  the  Prince  of  Israel?”  “Tes,”  said  Hillel. 
“Well,”  continued  the  stranger,  “I  wish  that  there 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD. 


8 


official  duties  during  the  term  of  forty  years  with 
great  distinction,  so  that  it  was  said  of  him  that  he 
was  worthy  to  be  in  the  rank  of  the  prophets.  His 
great  erudition  and  sound  principles,  as  well  as  his 
excellent  character,  entitle  him  to  be  always  remem- 
bered  among  the  brightest  examples  of  human  in- 
tellect  and  nobility  of  heart. 


NOBLE  TEAITS  OF  HILLEL,  THE  FIEST 
EDITOE  OF  THE  MISHNAH. 

Experience  teaches  us,  that  patience  and  sweet- 
ness  of  disposition  conquer  always  the  hearts  of  men. 
These  traits  subdue  the  passionate,  disarm  the  iras- 
cible  and  draw  forth  love  and  admiration.  Hillel 
posessed  these  virtues  in  the  highest  degree.  There- 
fore  he  was  appointed  Nasi,  prince,  by  King  Herod, 
which  office  he  held  with  the  greatest  dignity  until 
his  eightieth  year.  This  honorable  position  was 
retained  by  his  descendants  for  ten  generations. 

It  is  related  (treatise  Sabbath,  p.  31)  that  two  men 
were  once  wagering  four  hundred  dinars  whether 
Hillel  could  be  provoked  to  anger  or  not.  He  who 
thought  that  he  could  make  Hillel  angry,  entered  his 
residence  on  a Friday  afternoon  and  unceremoniously 
rushed  towards  the  door  of  the  bath-room  where  he 
was  just  taking  a bath,  shouting  in  a gruff  voice : ‘‘Is 
Hillel  here?  Where  is  HiUel?  ” without  adding  the 
title  of  Nasi.  Hillel  dressed  himself  hastily,  and 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TALMUD.  7 

gratuitously  to  poor  Eabbis,  so  that  they  might  allow 
him  to  listen  to  their  lectures.  Having  acquired  some 
knowledge,  he  desired  then  to  attend  a regular  course 
of  studies  at  the  most  celebrated  academy  of  that 
time,  where  the  two  ingenious  and  renowned  teachers, 
the  proselytes  Shemajah  and  Abtalion,  presided. 

The  poor  wood-cutter  tried  all  that  lay  in  his 
power  to  earn  enough  to  pay  the  admission  fee  to 
the  door-keeper.  One  day  in  winter  he  worked  very 
hard,  but  in  spite  of  his  steady  and  heavy  labor,  he 
could  not  gain  the  usual  amount  he  needed,  on  ac- 
count  of  the  shortness  of  the  day.  He  could,  conse- 
quently,  neither  buy  for  himself  the  necessary  meals, 
nor,  much  less,  could  he  pay  the  door-keepers  fee  at 
the  college.  Hillel  then — like  a thief  in  the  night — 
climbed  to  the  roof,  and  regardless  of  cold  and  danger, 
listened  with  close  attention  to  the  word  of  God  and 
the  explanations  of  the  sages.  The  heaven  was  over- 
cast  with  clouds,  the  storm  raged  fearfully  and  the 
snowflakes  fell  thick  and  fast  upon  him;  but  still 
poor  Hillel  hstened  on.  His  limbs  began  to  stiffen, 
he  became  benumbed  and  all  sense  of  feeling  at  last 
was  lost.  He  was  found  in  the  morning  apparently 
dead ; but  after  applying  many  restoratives  he  was 
brought  to  consciousness  again. 

When  the  Scribes  or  Sophrim  were  informed  of 
his  intense  longing  for  truth,  they  granted  him  free 
admission  to  their  lectures.  Hillel  made  great  pro- 
ficiency  in  all  his  studies,  and  soon  the  title  of  Nasi, 
prince,  was  conferred  on  him.  He  performed  his 


SKETCH  OF  THE  TAIxMUD• 


6 


which,  like  brilliant  jewels,  do  not  grace  the  Hebrew 
language  in  a less  degree  than  the  elegant  phrases 
which  the  classics,  the  languages  of  Greece  and  Home 
contain. 

The  Talmud  consists  of  two  parts:  first, משנ ה  Mish- 
nah,  (from  the  Hebrew  verb שנ ה  shanoh,  to  teach), 
traditional  precept ; second, גמר ה  Gemarah,  (from  the 
Hebrew  verb גמ ר  gamor^  to  finish,  to  conclude),  be- 
cause  therein  was  rendered  the  final  judgment  or 
decree,  after  a thorough  discussion  of  the  matter. 


THE  EIEST  EDITOE  OF  THE  MISHNAH. 

The  first  collection  of  the  Mishnah  was  made  by 
Hillel  Hanasi,  (the  prince)  a contemporary  of  Jesus 
of  Nazareth,  who  acknowledged  the  authority  of  his 
learned  countryman,  as  appears  from  Matt,  xxiii,  3 : 
“ The  Scribes  and  the  Pharisees  sit  on  Moses’  chair, 
therefore  observe  and  do  whatever  they  enjoin  upon 
you.”  It  is  said  (treatise  Chagigah,  p.  14  et  seq.) 
that  the  traditions  were  so  many  that  they  could  fill 
up  six  or  seven  hundred  books,  but  Hillel  rejected  a 
great  many  and  reduced  them  to  six  books. 

Hillel  was  a native  of  Babylon  and  settled  in 
Jerusalem,  when  forty  years  of  age.  Having  no  pro- 
fession  whatever,  and  being  destitute  of  all  other 
means  of  obtaining  a livelihood,  he  obtained  his  daily 
bread  by  cutting  and  splitting  wood.  Impelled,  how- 
ever,  by  an  unquenchable  thirst  for  truth  and  know- 
ledge,  he  even  offered  his  services  as  wood-cutter 


SKETCH  OE  THE  TALMUD. 

o 

The  word  Talmud  is  derived  from  the  Hebrew 
verb למ ד  (lamod)  to  learn,  to  teach ; signifying,  oral 
instruction,  or  traditional  teaching,  and  is  the  title 
of  a collection  of  Jewish  traditions  and  laws. 

It  is  called  Talmud  emphatically,  as  the  Law  of 
Moses  is  called  with  emphasis  ‘^6‘ ‘ ”תורד  waoc”  ‘Hhe 
Law,”  instead  of תור ת מש ה  the  Law  of  Moses. 

It  contains,  as  Buxtorf  films  in  dedic.  ad  Lex. 
Talm.  correctly  remarked,  sound  theological  doc- 
trines,  although,  as  Maimonides  somewhere  says, 
they  are  occasionally  concealed  in  useless  shells. 

It  contains,  as  it  were,  a collection  of  a great  many 
small  coins,  and  of  faithful  and  very  useful  vestiges 
which  have  escaped  the  destruction  of  Jewish  an- 
tiquity  to  the  shame  of  the  perfidy  of  some  modern  Jews, 
to  the  enlightening  of  the  history  of  both  Testaments, 
and  to  a right  explanation  of  ceremonies,  precepts 
and  customs  of  the  former  Jewish  nation.  We  find 
therein  the  noblest  proverbs  of  antiquity,  beautiful 
sentiments,  acute,  tasteful  and  deep  thoughts,  and 
innumerable  allusions  which  will  make  the  reader 
not  only  better,  but  also  wiser  and  more  learned,  and 


PREFACE. 


iv 


It  requires  no  prophet  to  see  that  gross 
ignorance  and  misrepresentation  are  the  real 
causes  of  it.  For  among  millions  of  Jews 
and  Christians,  there  are  only  very  few  who 
read  and  studied  the  Talmud  all  through,  as  it 
takes  a whole  life-time  merely  to  read  all  the 
books  bearing  that  name,  and  what  makes  it 
most  difficult  is,  that  although  one  part  of  it, 
namely,  the  Mishnah,  is  written  in  the  Hebrew 
language,  the  second  part,  however,  called 
Gemara,  is  composed  in  a style  where  fre- 
quently  are  used  Chaldaic,  Persian,  Syric, 
Greek  and  Latin  idioms,  which  are  written 
with  Hebrew  characters  without  vowels. 

It  is  therefore  no  wonder  that  it  cannot  be 
studied  by  many,  and  some  know  only  that 
which  they  have  read  somewhere,  quoted 
from  another  secondary  source. 

Having  for  nearly  half  a centiiry  devoted 
my  time  and  e1)ergy  to  the  study  of  the  tal- 
mudical  literature,  I hope  that  I am  fully 
prepared  to  give  to  the  kind  reader  a true, 
clear  and  succinct  "Sketch  of  the  Talmud.’’ 
May  it  be  as  favorably  received  by  every 
friend  of  literature  and  enlightenment,  as 
many  portions  of  it  have  been,  when  I pub- 
fished  them  some  years  ago  in  a popular 
Christian  paper,  read  by  tens  of  thousands. 

ISIDOR  KALISCH. 


Newark,  Augmt,  1877. 


PREFACE. 


דר^ו 


It  is  my  design  in  publishing  a “Sketch  of 
the  Talmud,’’  to  recall  men  from  prepossessed 
partial  views,  to  truth. 

The  fate  and  history  of  the  literary  pro- 
ductions  of  the  Jewish  people  in  the  different 
countries  all  over  the  habitable  globe,  found 
everywhere  interpreters  and  expounders. 

But  the  Talmud,  which  is  the  principal 
source  of  Judaism  and  is  an  important  his- 
torical  document  of  a period  of  seven  hundred 
years,  showing  and  explaining  clearly  the 
development  and  retardation  of  Judaism,  and 
containing  much  which  is  of  great  impor- 
tance  to  the  knowledge  and  history  of  the 
Bible,  although  it  still  requires  that  the  torch 
of  criticism  should  throw  light  upon  it,  is 
very  seldom  used  properly,  or  is  ignored 
altogether.  (See  Dr.  A.  Geiger’s  posthumous 
works,  Vol.  II,  p.  127.) 

Yes,  it  was  and  is  often  subject  to  the  worst 
׳abuse.* 


ו 

ד 

do 

ti 


^ * The  governments  of  Italy,  France,  etc.,  influenced  by 
^ priestly  fanaticism,  condemned  the  Talmud  as  heretical  and 
consequently  it  suffered  several  times  the  martyrdom  of 
"^heresy. 


680832 


‘‘It  is  the  essence  of  the  Talmud  which  is  ridiculed  by  those  who 
understand  it  the  least,  and  which  is  terribly  abused  in  our  own  midst 
by  those  who  hold  themselves  out  as  its  sincere  devotees.”  (Dr.  Ad. 
Jellinek’s  Sermons,  Vol.  II,  p.  290.) 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  ttie  year  1877,  by 
L.  H.  FRANK  & CO., 

in  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


A SKETCH 


OF  THE 

TALMUD, 

THE 

WORLD  RENOWNED  COLLECTION 


JEWISH  TRADITIONS, 


KEY.  DE.  ISIDOK  KALISCH. 


NEW  YOEK: 

L.  H.  FEANK  & CO.,  Publishees  and  Peintebs, 

No.  32i  BOWERY. 


1 8 7 7. 


' ־ י•■H, 


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